


Second Redemption 2

by WhimsyNeptune



Series: Second Redemption [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Emma Swan, F/F, Jealous Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Mainly Regina's Point of View, Making Up, clarification
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 01:49:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 33,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12098070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhimsyNeptune/pseuds/WhimsyNeptune
Summary: Now that Emma has agreed to try to forgive Regina, and try to be friends again. Regina tries to prove to Emma in every way possible that she can be trusted again. Will Regina get a second chance with Emma, or will she forever be doomed to be friends with the woman that she so desperately loves because of her terrible choices? (SomeJealous Regina because of a handsy Elsa)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As promised, here is part two of "Second Redemption." Elsa is going to make appearances throughout, but this is a Swan Queen story, so if I do have Emma and Elsa get close, it will not last, but that is not where my mind has gone with the story as of yet.

It had been two months since the Blonde had left Storybrooke. Emma kept in touch through text regularly, and Henry kept in touch as often as he could but with his college schedule, and studying for his finals, he could only do so much. Regina understood though; it's not like he was doing it out of spite, he just truly was a busy man.

The one thing that did bother her, however, was the fact that the Queen of Arendelle seemed to be spending every weekend in Boston with her ex-wife and it was beginning to irritate the former Mayor immensely. Didn't that blonde hermit have a kingdom to run? Regina sighed as she once again tried to refocus on shining the leather saddle that she had been working on for the past hour.

After a few more minutes the brunette decided just to give up and text the Bail Bondswoman to see how she was doing.

_Regina: Hello, dear. How are you on this exquisite day? :)_

An hour and a half had passed, and she still had received no reply. She had begun to worry and decided to call the blonde, but right before she pressed the green call button her phone sounded, signaling a text. She smiled as she heard the song and instantly knew it was finally her blonde savior replying.

_Emma: Not so good. Tough bust. Pretty banged up, just got out of the ER. I got eight stitches, I've got a concussion, and a fractured femur, but you should see the other guy. ;) Lol. Don't worry though. Everything is fine; I'm going to be okay. I wounded the dude, and he left a blood trail that led the cops straight to him. I'm definitely not going to be back to catching criminals here in Boston, and it'll be a few months before I will be able to take reign as Sheriff again once I get back to Storybrooke either._

Regina felt her panic rise as she read that. She nearly lost Emma today! She was so thankful that the younger woman would be coming back to Storybrooke in just over a month. It was much less dangerous there now that things had finally settled down and there were no more Super Villains to conquer. She decided to call the sheriff; this was no texting matter whether the Savior wanted to talk on the phone or not.

As soon as she heard the phone line connect she spoke in a panicked rush. "EMMA SWAN! Are you okay?! Can you take care of yourself? Would you like me to tell my boss that I need to take a few weeks off so that I can take care of you? I'm sure he'll let me due to it being for the savior…"

Regina waited impatiently for the blonde's reply. She so wanted the answer to be 'Yes Regina I need you. Please come.' But she doubted tremendously that it would be the response she would obtain.

"That is a good excuse for you to come visit me. I think Elsa said she was coming tomorrow sometime though, but she can only stay for a couple of days, and Henry is going to stop by once or twice a day if he has time. If you want, you can definitely come. It wouldn't hurt to have a couple of friends to help." Emma said sincerely.

Regina cringed at the thought of that air headed blonde taking care of _HER_ Emma. Regina sighed, she could no longer call Emma that. Not yet, anyway. One thing was for sure though; there was no way in hell she wasn't going to be there to take care of the woman that still owned her heart. She had to think about how to respond. She finally decided to throw caution to the wind and just tell Emma what was going to happen. There was no possible way the blonde would convince her to stay in Storybrooke while she knew that the woman she loved was just over 2 hours away incapable of taking care of herself. "I will be there by midnight. I get off at 9:30. I will pack my things and leave by 9:45. If I take I-95 all the way there it should only take about 2hrs and 15mins."

Regina heard Emma chuckle over the phone. "I'm surprised you didn't ask me why I don't come to Storybrooke immediately and have someone heal me."

Regina didn't have to ask. She already knew. Neither Rumplestiltskin nor Mother Superior could be trusted to use magic on Emma. The first chance they got they would take her magic away, or possibly even kill the savior, and Emma wasn't able to heal herself.

"There is no reason to, Dear. I know." Regina admitted.

"Well, I'm only going to be staying here for about another week. Just to finish transferring all of my other case files over to the new Bondsman taking my place, and then I am going back home and staying with my parents. I just hope I'm not too much of a burden on them."

Regina sighed. She knows Emma feels like her family doesn't think she's good enough, and that they will feel overwhelmed by having to take care of a wounded Emma, but that was so incredibly false. If Emma only knew what the Charmings put Regina through because she broke their daughter's heart. They defended their daughter's honor the best way they could without killing her or locking her away somewhere. They were heartbroken when Emma had told them that she couldn't stay because seeing Regina would be devastating.

"Darling, I will see you tonight," Regina replied, ignoring the fact that her guilt was once again eating away at her.

"Okay, see you then. Be safe." Emma replied as she ended the call.

Regina smiled from ear to ear. Emma wanted her to be safe. Emma cared about her well being, and she wanted Regina to come and see her. Regina felt her heart swell with hope as she realized that their bond was finally rekindling itself. The former mayor knew that they were going to have to work on their friendship. She also knew the progress was going to be long, hard, and probably heart-wrenching because of Regina's betrayal, but she hoped above all hope that this visit would speed up the progress because she didn't want just to be friends with Emma Swan. She wanted to be married to Emma Swan-Mills.

It was now 9:35, and Regina was at her house packing only the essentials so that she could finish and get out the door in record time. All she wanted to do was hold Emma and see for herself that she was alright.

Once the clock hit 9:40 she had already packed eight outfits, four different pairs of shoes, her toothbrush, toothpaste, and eight pairs of pajamas. She quickly grabbed her keys and was out the door by 9:41. Once she got into her car, she decided to text Emma and let her know that she was on her way.

_Regina: I am on my way now, darling. I can't wait to see you._

And with that, she was on her way to the highway to see the love of her life.


	2. Chapter 2

According to her GPS Regina was about thirty minutes away from Emma's Townhouse, and she had started to become nervous. Over the course of the past three months, she and Emma had had a breakthrough. The former mayor knew how much she loved the blonde, but after how badly Regina had betrayed her she always felt as if she didn't deserve to be loved by Emma anymore. The feelings of unworthiness only escalated further once the blonde had given her a second chance at redemption even after everything Regina had put her though.

She wanted to be loved by Emma more than anything, but she felt as though once Emma cleared her head a bit, and slowly started to forgive her ex-wife she would realize that she only cared for Regina as a friend now, or that the former queen wasn't worthy of her anymore. Emma then would likely friend zone her, and that was if Regina was lucky.

" **In three hundred yards, turn left to exit 24A-24B** " the GPS ordered, startling the Brunette woman.

Regina cleared her thoughts of all doubts. Emma had said that she still loved her. She never specified what type of love, but Regina still had to hold out hope, because she wanted nothing more than to be able to keep Emma close and be able to love her openly.

As she followed the GPS instructions, Regina finally reached Lanark Road (the road on which Emma lived) and immediately felt nervous butterflies begin to flutter in her stomach.

She pulled into Emma's driveway, shut her car off, and texted the blonde to ask where her hiding spot for the spare key was.

_Regina: Hey, Em. I am in your driveway. May I ask where you keep your spare key?_

Her phone instantly rang back, and she smiled widely. Emma was actually willing to let her in.

_Emma: It's in the mailbox, but the door is already unlocked, just come on in. :)_

Regina smiled even wider as the knowledge that she was finally going to be spending an entire week with Emma set in.

She grabbed her things, locked her car, and walked up the steps and into the door of the townhouse. She then halted at the sight of another woman cooking for Emma who was sitting at the table in a wheelchair, with her left arm in a sling, and her right leg in a cast. Her heart broke at how battered the blonde looked. She immediately dropped her bags and rushed over to the injured woman.

"Emma!" She screamed as she embraced the blonde in a tight hug. When the woman flinched in pain Regina instantly jumped back, as she chastised herself for being so stupid. "I'm so sorry, Emma! It's just… I.. You made it sound a lot less severe, and I wasn't prepared to see you so hurt."

Emma smiled and opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the woman at the stove finally turning around to speak her mind. "You didn't expect her to be so hurt? Then why did you even come, Regina? So that you could cause her physical pain in addition to the emotional pain you've already caused? Because so far that's all you've accomplished."

_Elsa._

Regina gritted her teeth and jammed her hands into her jacket pockets in an attempt to refrain from taking the knife the Ice Queen was holding, and shoving it into the Blonde Queen's jugular. She felt bad enough about what she's done; she didn't need her added insult to the already painful injury. She decided to ignore Elsa's comment and looked back at the woman of her dreams. "Emma, I'm so sorry. Please, let me make it up to you. Would you like a grilled cheese?"

Emma smiled a half smile. "It's okay, Gina. I'm glad you made it here safely." She said with a weak voice. She was clearly exhausted. "I would love a grilled cheese, but maybe tomorrow? Ell is making Salmon and Shrimp Quiche."

Regina frowned. Emma didn't like seafood. She looked at the savior with a concerned look. Emma must've read her mind because she began shaking her head vehemently with wide eyes in a silent plea for Regina to keep her mouth shut and not lash out at The Queen of Arendelle for making the savior a dish she clearly had no interest in whatsoever.

Regina smirked. She may have screwed up big in the past, but at least she knows her ex-wife much better than her competitor. She still had a shot… that is if Emma even wanted either of them.

Regina leaned in close to Emma and whispered in her ear. "I'll sneak a grilled cheese to you after Her Majesty goes to bed."

Emma smiled widely and nodded her head in appreciation. "Thank you, Gina. That'd be amazing."

Regina's heart filled with pride. She was the cause of that beautifully bright smile.

When Emma began shifting in her wheelchair due to discomfort Regina forthwith appeared at her side. "Would you like help to get into the living room so you can rest on the couch?"

Emma looked up sheepishly at her ex-wife. "If you wouldn't mind, it'd be greatly appreciated."

Regina smiled warmly at the blonde and nodded. "Your wish is my command." She said, as she grabbed the handles to the wheelchair and wheeled Emma into the moderately sized living room.

She stopped once she reached the couch and engaged the brakes to the wheelchair, before walking around to the front of the chair and looking down at Emma. "Can you maneuver well enough to get yourself up there or will you be in need of any assistance?" She asks softly.

Emma looked back and forth between her legs, arm, and couch with her eyes and then groaned. "There's no way I can do it on my own; I'll just stay in this thing, I don't want to bother you with this right now, you just got here, and haven't even had a chance to put your stuff in my room yet."

Regina's breath hitched in her throat. Did Emma just say that Regina was staying in _Emma's_ room? Her heart was pounding a thousand miles an hour, and she felt like she was shaking with hope and excitement. "Y-your room?" She grimaced at the obvious stutter knowing that Emma had most definitely not missed that.

Emma nodded. "Mhm. You are staying in my room, Elsa is staying in Henry's old room, and I'll just sleep on the couch."

Regina's heart ached as soon as she heard the arrangements. She frowned and nodded for a second until the realization hit her. Emma couldn't sleep on a damn couch! Her leg was in a cast, and she had eight stitches holding her arm together for christ sakes! "You are not sleeping on this sofa, Miss Swan."

Emma glared at her. "First off." She said indignantly. "I told you not to call me that. Second, I'll be okay. I'll just take some extra pain meds, and hope they knock me out for the night."

Regina glared at her. There was no way in hell that this was going to be the sleeping arrangement. "Emma, are you even allowed to sleep? I mean, you have a concussion."

Emma laughed. "I asked the doctor that too." She said as she gestures to a folded paper on the end table. "Read that." She says.

Regina picks up the paper and unfolds the letter so she can read it.

_Concussion Facts And Treatment Requirements:_

_A concussion is a functional injury. It didn't cause physical damage. Instead, concussions affect a brain's ability to function at 100 percent for varying amounts of time depending on how severe the concussion was._

_Concussions are injuries often caused by a hard blow or jolt to the head, such as those experienced in sports or vehicle crashes. They are treatable, and the primary treatment is cognitive rest. That means limit activities and allow the brain to rest. As long as the symptoms are not getting any worse and new symptoms do not arise during the first minutes and hours immediately following a concussion, we recommend that if you need to sleep, you should. Sleep is the brain's way of beginning the healing process. If you notice any new symptoms or your existing symptoms get worse, for example, you get headaches, or you forget your name, we recommend that you seek emergency medical attention._

Regina sighed in relief. She was thankful that she wouldn't have to stay up for an entire 24 hours to make sure her love wouldn't die. She was extremely exhausted but refused to let the blonde beauty know that. "Well, that's splendid, dear, but that doesn't change the fact that there is no way in hell that you are going to be sleeping on the damn couch."

Emma sighed and shook her head. "Just let it go, Gina." Emma pleaded with the brunette as she stifled a yawn.

"You're tired." Regina declared matter-of-factly.

Emma smiled weakly. "Yes."

Just as Emma announced the truth, Elsa barged in. "Food's ready!" She exclaims with glee.

Regina rolled her eyes at the oblivious woman before her. "You do realize that Emma hates seafood, and is actually quite exhausted do you not?" Regina asked irritatedly.

Elsa smirked. "Emma _does_ like seafood; she just told you that she didn't like it when you were together so that she didn't make you feel guilty about not cooking it for her."

Regina's eyes widened. _That_ was why Emma was so adamant that Regina keeps her mouth shut. She didn't want her to make a fool out of herself. Emma had her head bowed and eyes closed. She looked an awful lot like she was praying. Probably for the safety of Elsa, at this point. Regina took in a deep breath to calm herself before she began to speak once more. "If that is true, which from the looks of it, it is. She still would prefer a grilled cheese sandwich over that," She gestured to the plate of food in the dopey blonde's hand.

The two women finally started in on each other, the tension becoming more than they could bear and they both began to yell at each other.

Emma had finally had enough and broke up the quarrel "HEY! Hey! Stop it! Just stop it! I don't know what your fight was about back at Æsop's Tables, but you both said that it wouldn't be a problem the next time you saw each other so _please_ just stop it!"

Elsa rolled her eyes and slammed Emma's plate on the coffee table. "Whatever. Here's your seafood." She stated harshly.

Regina had to fight back the urge to slap the Ice Bitch for disrespecting Emma. She squeezed her hands into a tight fist, causing her knuckles to turn white, and her fingernails to cut deep into the soft flesh of her palms. She was positive that her hands would start to bleed if she squeezed them any harder. She looked at the woman in the wheelchair who looked so exhausted and defeated that it crushed her heart in two. "Emma, are you sure you wouldn't rather eat a grilled cheese?" Regina asked despite the deathly glares she was receiving from the idiotic queen standing a few feet opposite her.

Emma looked up and smiled graciously. "Grilled cheese does sound amazing, but Elsa already slaved over the stove to make this for me," Emma stated with a fake smile. Elsa didn't seem to notice the facade, but Regina did. She almost always could tell when things were bothering Emma.

Regina frowned. She looked away from the Wounded savior right into the Arendelle Queen's eyes. "Will you please make her a grilled cheese? I assume that you do not trust my cooking as of yet, is that correct?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Emma just said that the Quiche is fine."

Regina sighed couldn't the blonde just accept the fact that Emma may be able to eat seafood, but would never prefer it? Why couldn't she just get over her ego and make the woman she claimed to love, something that she would actually enjoy? "Yes, but she also stated that she would prefer a grilled cheese. Alos, while we're on the topics of things she would prefer, I think that she should sleep in her own bed, and I can take the couch." Regina stated curtly.

Elsa shook her head. "No, she doesn't like making her guest sleep on the couch… Even if they are the bitches that tore her heart to shreds in a selfish and pointless affair."

Regina felt anger rise through her entire body, she knew if she had her magic, and they were back in Storybrooke, she'd have to fight herself from killing Elsa right on the spot. "I know what I did. I know my mistakes, and I intend to make up for them for the rest of my life." Regina stated. "I still love Emma, and I always will. I didn't deserve her back when we were married, and I _definitely_ don't deserve her now. However, I intend to take care of her while she needs me to. Right now, though, I aim to find a better sleeping arrangement for her."

Emma cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but I am right here, and really don't understand why you guys are talking about me like I am some child that you two are the divorced parents of."

Regina immediately realized that she was an idiot for excluding Emma from the conversation. "I'm sorry, dear. I just don't think you should be sleeping on the couch; it's not at all capable of letting your body relax and rest the way it needs to in order for you to heal properly." She said.

Emma nodded. "I know, but it's okay, it's just going to be for the weekend."

Elsa grinned something fierce, making Regina's stomach turn in disgust and dread for what the woman was about to divulge. 'Well, I agree with Regina, you shouldn't be sleeping on that uncomfortable couch. Why don't you and I just share your bed and Regina can sleep in Henry's? That way everyone is comfortable?"

Regina's heart started to drop but halted in anticipation for Emma's answer. She prayed to any deity that was out there that Emma refused the offer, and suggested that she and Regina slept with each other instead.

But Regina's heart continued its descent to the floor as Emma uttered her one-word response.

"Okay."

  



	3. Chapter 3

As Emma laid in bed with the younger blonde woman that night, she couldn't help but feel that something was off about the entire thing. Elsa was a great friend, and she cared a great deal for Arendelle's Queen, but she couldn't fight the feeling that this wasn't right. She missed the feeling of having a woman lie next to her, but this just didn't feel the way she remembered it. It was missing something. Maybe she was just so used to it being Curtis lying next to her that she had to get used to it being a woman again? What was she talking about? She didn't plan on sleeping next to Elsa more than just this night… Right?

She tried to relax, but she continuously kept having flashes of past experiences she had with Regina.

_Regina admitting that she was in love with Emma._

_She and Regina's first date._

_Regina opening the door for her and flashing that beautiful smile._

_Regina holding her hand as they walked down Storybrooke's Main Street._

_Regina down on one knee at Emma's apartment door, asking for Emma's hand in marriage._

Emma was smiling as the memories continued until suddenly all the bad ones came rushing in furiously.

_Regina screaming at her because she was oblivious to the fact that Ruby had flirted with Emma._

_Regina throwing Emma's clothes off the balcony because she had to finish paperwork and was a half hour late getting home, even though Emma texted and let her know what was happening._

_Regina in bed with Robin._

Emma felt tears falling down her face as she attempted to muffle her sobs in her pillow.

Elsa immediately took notice of Emma's heavy breathing and muffled cries, and enveloped the woman in her arms, careful not to hurt her. "Emma! Are you okay? Sweetie!? What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

Emma shook her head. "I just want to be loved by someone I can trust. Why can't I just get that one thing? Why am I never enough?" Emma was sobbing vociferously now.

Elsa frowned and decided that it was time for Emma to know that if Emma would have her, Elsa could give her everything she wanted. "Emma?"

The crying blonde looked up to the woman with puffy red eyes that had tears streaming from them. "Yeah?" She muttered through tears.

"Do you trust me?"

Emma nodded.

"Then you _are_ loved by someone you can trust."

Emma shook her head. "I mean ro-romantically" Emma stuttered, finding it harder and harder to speak through her earth shattering sobs.

"I mean romantically too." Elsa smiled.

Emma's eyes widened. Maybe this was why she felt something was off, Maybe she wanted this to be more than just a friendship, and she didn't recognize the feeling just yet? "Really?" She mumbled cautiously.

Elsa nodded. "Yes. Really."

Emma smiled. "Cool."

Elsa chuckled. "I can be _very_ cool. I do have Ice Magic after all."

The two women just laughed. Only Elsa would be able to make her laugh when all she wanted was to disappear.

XXX

Regina could hear them laughing from the other room. She hadn't been able to sleep at all. Knowing that Emma was in bed with another woman (even if it was only platonic at the moment) was destroying her. She would never survive if Elsa did win Emma's, heart. That thought sent pain straight into her chest.

The next thing she knew she heard Emma scream out in pain; it shattered through all of Regina's senses sending her straight into defensive mode. She grabbed the mace she carried on her keychain for protection and immediately ran to Emma's room she slammed the door open only to see Elsa leaning over Emma who was crying and holding her stitched-up arm with her good hand. "Emma! Oh my god I am so sorry. I didn't think! I just got caught up in the moment!"

Regina was furious. She had no idea what had just happened, and she quite honestly didn't care. Emma was clearly in pain, and it was evident that it was the scatterbrained queen's fault. She grabbed the Queen of Arendelle forcefully and yanked her off of the bed. The brunette was finally going to put this bitch in her place. Just as she was about to connect her fist to Elsa's eye, Emma's small voice rang out. "Gina, please. Don't."

No matter how much she wanted to destroy the insipid queen before her, she refused to disappoint the woman she loved. She sighed and threw the trembling woman to the ground. "Are you okay, Em? Do you need anything?" She asked as she rounded the bed and sat down at Emma's feet.

Emma shook her head. "I'm fine I guess. I can't take any more of the pain medicine, but could you and Elsa switch rooms? I would rather not sleep with her tonight."

Regina's heart fluttered. She had to fight back the smile that was trying to show itself on her face. She shouldn't be happy. Emma was in pain, and Elsa was to blame. But the fact that she was going to get to sleep next to Emma again was a dream come true, and she couldn't pretend that she wasn't happy.

Before she could say anything, Elsa spoke. "No, Em. It's fine. I don't deserve a bed, I'll just sleep on the couch, and I will leave tomorrow to give you some space. I'll visit you in a couple of weeks, and if you would like to continue our conversation, we can. If not, I hope we can still be friends." With that, Elsa ran from the room with tears falling from her eyes.

Regina sighed. Of course, Elsa would destroy her one chance at being close to Emma once again. "Emma, are you okay? What happened?"

Emma shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it. Can we just, go to sleep please?" She asked in a small and unsteady voice.

Regina nodded in defeat as she stood up, but before she could take a step, she felt Emma's good hand wrap around her wrist.

"Thank you for trying to protect me today." The blonde smiled.

Regina could feel her chest start to flush. "Always," Regina said in a cracked voice.

Emma smiled as she released Regina's wrist. Then her smile was lost, and Regina could feel the pain at the loss of contact, and the sad expression on Emma's face. "What's wrong, dear?" Regina asked.

Emma sighed. "When I was laying next to Elsa, I was having flashbacks."

Regina furrowed her brows. "Good or bad?" She asked tenderly.

"Both."

Regina nodded. "About your childhood?" She asked. Feeling the guilt creep through her body.

Emma shook her head. "About our past relationship."

Regina frowned. "About how I hurt you." She stated. "I don't have a chance, do I?" She asked sadly as she tried to fight the tears that were about to claw their way to the surface.

Emma sighed. "We had so many good times, Regina. I just don't get why when we were having such a good thing; you'd randomly start fights that weren't even reasonable. You continually tried to hurt me on purpose; it was like you _wanted_ me to leave." Regina caught a glimpse of a single tear fall from the beautiful emerald eyes that she'd so desperately fallen in love with all those years ago. "I just don't understand. Weren't you happy?"

Regina felt the tears she so perilously attempted to fight back, begin to fall. "Emma, I am so sorry for everything I did to you. I just felt so unworthy of you that I tried to prove to us both that I wasn't what you wanted, that you would leave me like everyone else. I know that isn't an excuse, but when you left me the first time, telling me that you were done with my games, it scared me. I vowed to myself that I would never hurt you again, and then I ordered your ring and proposed. I kept my promise until the idea of soulmates consumed me for a bit, making myself believe that it was okay to cheat on you with Robin because if was foreseen. I never actually believed it. I knew I didn't love him. I knew all I wanted was you. I also knew you'd be devastated if you ever found out, but then eventually after it happened a few times I had planned on ending things with him that one last time." She had to pause because her breathing became labored through all of her tears. Emma handed her a tissue after grabbing a few for herself. They both wiped their faces, blew their noses, and then Regina continued. "I realized that even if I was unworthy of you, I was your choice. That I would do whatever I could to make what I did go away, but then you came home early, caught us in the act, and everything I had planned went out the window. I screwed up so badly, and I know that it was all my fault. If it weren't for my deplorable and nefarious choices, you wouldn't be in this condition, you wouldn't be so heartbroken, and we still would be happy. I am so sorry for hurting you, Emma. I will never forgive myself even if you manage to do so some day."

Emma nodded through her tears. "I know you are, Regina. I do, but I just don't know what to do anymore."

Regina nodded. "I understand that. I will never stop trying to redeem myself to you, but as of right now, my primary focus is your health. Do you need anything?"

Emma thought for a second before nodding. "I would like to take a bath."

  



	4. Chapter 4

At first, when Emma requested a bath, Regina's heart started thudding so fast, and so loudly that she was sure it would break out of her chest.

She was terrified.

She had no idea how she was supposed to bathe the blonde without getting inside the bathtub with her. Luckily, the blonde noticed how terrified she was and assuaged her fears at once.

"Gina, I'm not expecting you to bathe me" Emma chuckled. "I can't get my stitches, or my cast wet. I just need a washcloth, soap, and water. I need to freshen up. I stink." Emma finished with a half smile.

Regina nodded and immediately went to the kitchen to grab all that Emma had requested. As she walked through the living room, she saw the Ice Queen laying on the couch. Curiosity took over her, and she dumped a little of the water she had gotten for Emma's bath on the idiotic blonde's face.

Elsa immediately sprung up from her sleep and looked at Regina with sleep-hazed eyes. "May I help you, your highness?" She sneered.

Regina had to fight back a smirk. She wasn't happy that the blonde was here. At all. "Why, as a matter of fact, you most certainly can." She smiled with a clear facade of sweetness.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

Regina glared daggers at her. "What the hell happened in there that went from you and Emma laughing hysterically, to me having to rush in there because I hear my wife screaming out in pain?" She asked viciously.

" _ **Ex**_ -Wife" Elsa corrected bitterly. The blonde's face then went completely solemn as she sighed. "She was crying into her pillow trying to hide it from me. When I finally realized what she was doing, I grabbed her and held her, and asked her what was wrong. She told me she had all these memories flying through her mind about you two and she didn't understand why she couldn't find someone to love that she could trust, and who would love her back equally. I asked her if she trusted me, she said yes, so I told her that she had just found someone then. She asked me if I was serious, I said yes. She smiled and said 'cool,' and I made a joke about my Ice Powers making me super cool. We both laughed, and then I was stupid enough to kiss her and slam her into the bed by her arms without thinking."

Regina's protective-wife instincts kicked in as soon as the last sentence was uttered out of Elsa's mouth, and she attacked the blonde on the couch. Her fists connected with Elsa's face repeatedly until Regina's fists began aching and the pain brought her back to reality. She jumped off of the younger queen and regained control of herself. "If you _ever_ force yourself upon MY Emma again, I will destroy you!" Regina yelled to the bruised blonde. "I don't want to see you around here for a _very_ long time."

Elsa nodded with a swollen face that showed horror on it but made no attempt to leave. She seemed _frozen_.

"GO!" Regina yelled in the most Regal voice she could manage.

Elsa immediately rose from the couch, grabbed her bag and pulled out a magic-bean. She threw it onto the floor and jumped through the green portal that appeared as soon as the bean hit the ground.

 _So that's how she travels between realms._ Regina thought to herself.

The brunette then picked up the bucket that held the warm water that was going to be used for Emma's bath and started to ascend the stairs. Once she reached the top stair, dread overcame her. What had she just done? Emma would most definitely think she is Evil again once she finds out. Maybe she shouldn't tell her?

 _No. If Elsa tells her instead of me, Emma would never trust me again_. Regina thought. _I have to tell her, and face her anger now, instead of keeping this secret from her and hindering all further potential of regaining her trust._

She took a deep breath and walked into Emma's bedroom once more.

As she turned around after closing the door, she caught the blonde fighting with the buttons of her shirt. Regina smiled at the sight before going over to her and setting the pail down beside the wheelchair. "Having technical difficulties, dear?" The brunette joked.

Emma looked up to meet Regina's eyes with a smirk. "Unbuttoning a shirt with one hand is much harder than you'd think, Madame Mayor."

Regina's heart fluttered at the nickname. "Ahhh, I see, Sheriff. Would you like some help?"

Emma's eyes went wide. "I-I…. I don't have anything on under this." She admitted with a small voice.

Regina's mouth went dry, and she felt her underwear become moist at the admission, but she refused to ruin this by letting Emma believe that she was as bad as a horny 15-year-old boy. "That's quite alright, Em. If you feel uncomfortable with me seeing you, once I get to the top buttons, I can turn away, and once I finish unbuttoning them, I can just wheel you into the ensuite. I will see nothing."

Emma smiled. "Thanks, Regina."

Regina nodded as she began to undo the buttons of Emma's pajama top and refused to make eye contact with the blonde for fear of her eyes giving away just how much seeing Emma's bare skin was affecting her. Once she reached the top 4 buttons, she turned her eyes away as promised. Once they are all unfastened, she immediately stood up averting her eyes from the blonde's now-exposed chest and wheeled her into the bathroom.

After about an hour of washing herself up, Emma had finally called out to Regina, and the brunette was at her side instantaneously. When she saw the blonde her heart began to pulsate rapidly. The blonde was facing the opposite direction of Regina, but her newest pajama shirt was a tie-on, and since Emma can reach behind her with both arms, Regina could see some of her bare-back, and it took her breath away. She had forgotten just how beautiful her Emma was.

"You bellowed, Sheriff Swan?"

Emma giggled. "You sound like Addison Montgomery."

Regina furrowed her brows as her heart started aching in dread of her next question's answer. "Is that… Was that... An admirer of yours?"

Emma chuckled. "No, she's a tv character on Grey's Anatomy."

Regina let out a relieved breath and smiled. "Oh."

Emma laughed louder this time. "She's kind of hot though."

Regina froze. Was she comparing them? Was she saying that Regina was hot too? She had no idea what to say but decided to try anyway. "I-..."

Emma soon realized that Addison cheated on Derek, just like Regina cheated on Emma. She instantaneously felt sorry for comparing the two, even though it was entirely coincidental, and immediately wanted to make sure Regina didn't watch the show to realize that. "Uh... Please don't watch the show. I just... Don't want you to."

Regina nodded her head. She had no intention of watching that soap opera anyway. "I won't." She said as she finished tying Emma's nightshirt. "Let's get you to bed and get you comfortable. I have something I need to tell you."

Emma turned around and looked at Regina with concern written all over her face. "Are you okay?"

Regina smiled a tight and forced smile to try and reassure the blonde. "It depends on how well this conversation goes, I suppose." She admits.

The blonde looked confused but accepted the answer without any protest, for which Regina was quite thankful.

As they approached the queen-sized bed, Regina walks around the wheelchair and offers her hand to the blonde. Emma smiles and takes it, to help her stand up on her good leg, and maneuver onto the bed. "Thanks, Gina. I couldn't have done this by myself." The blonde admits.

Regina smiled a fake smile as she felt her heart begin to beat hurriedly as she started trying to formulate an acceptable approach to tell Emma what had occurred with Elsa just over an hour ago. "You're welcome, dear." She said in a raspy voice as she sat down at the foot of Emma's bed.

Emma covered herself up in her fuzzy yellow blanket and looked at the brunette expectantly, yet patiently.

Regina took in a deep, steadying breath, and spoke as clearly as she possibly could. "Something happened between Elsa and me." She began as she cautiously.

Emma nodded."Yeah, I know. We talked briefly about it before I left Storybrooke, remember?"

Regina shook her head. "I'm not talking about the night of Henry's wedding. I'm talking about... Tonight."

Emma's face went pale. "You slept with her? In my house?"

Regina's eyes widened as her heart rate began to skyrocket. "NO! God! No! Nothing like that!"

Emma's color began to come back to her, and she looked relieved. Was she jealous? If she was... Which one did she wish to be?

"Okay," Emma spoke steadily. "If it wasn't that, then what happened?"

Regina held her breath and looked into those beautiful jade eyes. "I beat her up."

  



	5. Chapter 5

It had been almost half an hour of silence. Regina felt paralyzed with fear of Emma's reaction. The silence was deafening, and the only sound she could hear was the accelerated pace of her heart. Emma sat in front of the brunette with a dumbstruck look on her face, and once the shock wore off, Regina was terrified of what was to come.

After about five more minutes, Emma finally shifted and began attempting to draft lucid sentences. "You…" She paused once more, causing Regina to feel as if she were going to pass out from the violent beating of her heart and the panic attack she was fighting so hard to avoid. The blonde shook her head trying to rattle away her shock and spoke the only word that was coming to mind at that moment. "Why?" She asked.

Regina gulped, she couldn't make out Emma's expression and felt terrified that she had just ruined everything. "I- I saw her on the couch when I was going downstairs to collect the items for your sponge bath." Regina was on the verge of crying tears of regret. Why had she done this? Why did she just _have_ to wake the idiotic Ice Queen?

Emma looked at Regina with confusion. "So you woke her up to hurt her? That doesn't sound like you… at all."

Regina felt relief as the blonde still didn't quite believe that Regina was capable of random malice. "No, I didn't do that. I woke her up to figure out what had transpired between the both of you earlier on tonight. She then told me that the reason you yelped in pain was because she forced herself upon you, (which was strike one), and then she pushed you down onto the bed by both your arms, which inevitably hurt your stitched up arm. (That was both strike two and three.) I snapped, and wanted to defend you, and protect you, and I just blacked out. Once my fists began hurting I snapped out of it and told her to leave and that she wasn't welcomed here for a very long time." Regina finished and tilted her head to the floor, waiting for Emma's verdict. She could only assume this had crossed a line that was impossible to recover from. She felt the tears in her eyes begin to surface until she heard Emma's gentle voice.

"Gina, look at me," Emma said.

Regina forced her head up to meet Emma's gaze. "I'm sorry, Emma. I know it's not my place anymore, but I hate seeing you in any pain caused by any one. Especially when it is due to an idiotic queen like Elsa and me."

Emma smiled. "I'm not going to say I condone the violence, but I appreciate the sentiment. I love knowing that you care so deeply, and I honestly can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing if I were in your shoes and one of my friends was hurt." The blonde admitted.

Regina's heart soared, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. Did Emma really just refer to them as friends? "You-You think of us as friends?"

Emma smiled that nervous smile that she had when they first declared their friendship back in Regina's fault all those years ago after Emma had given Henry Ice Cream for breakfast, and they got into a fight. "Crazy, huh?" The blonde said in the same voice and tone as all those years before.

Regina smiled. "Not crazy at all, Emma Swan. It's been what I've been dying to hear."

Emma chuckled and threw a pillow at the brunette. "Okay, enough sappiness. I'm exhausted. Today has been all kinds of crazy. I'll see you in the morning, all right?"

Regina nodded. "That's definitely alright with me." She replied as she stood up, and made her way to Henry's old room.

Before Regina fell asleep, she had a flashback.

_Regina saw Emma and the disabled pirate in Granny's diner. The drunk idiot wouldn't stop harassing the beautiful blonde, and Regina wanted more than anything just to poof him back to Neverland. She couldn't, though. For some reason, the blonde seemed to somewhat care for the man. They weren't together, but she still thought there was something redeemable about him. The same way she thought that about Regina, she hadn't been wrong about her, so The Mayor had to trust that The Sheriff was right about Captain Guyliner as well._

_The imbecile kissed the blonde on the cheek and said his goodbyes. Regina felt her blood boil. How dare that man put his lips on the sacred skin of the Savior! He was not worthy! Maybe no one was. But if he was allowed to do so, perhaps Regina was as well?_

_They were, after all, friends._

_Regina got up from her stool at the counter and walked over to the beautiful blonde who was sipping hot chocolate and reading the Daily Mirror._

" _Hey, Emma. How's everything going?" Regina asked in a nervous voice._

_Emma looked up from the newspaper and smiled at the Mayor. "Morning, Regina!" She said in a cheerful voice. "Everything is going okay, just sitting waiting for my shift to start in about an hour, then I'm heading to the station. How are you?"_

_Regina smiled. Emma was willing to carry on a full conversation with her, something that was new to Regina. No one else in town would even look her way when they were in need of companionship. Luckily for her, the one person who had her heart, seemed to be willing to spare her a glance. "I'm okay, dear. Glad to be back to being the Mayor, it's quite an accomplishment. Having Snow White admit that she thinks I'd be better suited and all." She joked._

" _Well, you have to admit that Everyone knew you'd be better at it than she would be. She's more used to running a kingdom, not a small village in the United States." Emma chuckled. "You've had much more experience in that department."_

_Regina smiled. She's not used to being told that she was good at something, and the fact that the Savior was the one telling her that, filled her stomach with butterflies. "Thank you. Emma." She said gratefully._

_Emma smiled again. "No problem, Gina."_

_Regina halted in place. 'Gina?' Was that a term of endearment? Was that a nickname? "Did you just call me Gina?" The brunette woman asked._

_Emma nodded as she was in the middle of taking a sip of her hot chocolate. When she swallowed the warm drink, she spoke. "Sorry, I just thought it sounded good, if you don't like it I won't use it anymore."_

_Regina shook her head. "No! I don't mind it at all; I'm just. I've never had a nickname from a friend before."_

_Emma frowned. "Well, now you do."_

_Regina smiled. "Would you like to go out for drinks sometime?"_

_Emma smiled. "I'm actually not much of a drinker, but we can figure something out."_

_Regina nodded. "We're friends, correct?"_

_The blonde woman chuckled. "I thought we've already established that. Of course, we are."_

_Regina took a deep breath. "Friends are allowed to kiss each other on the cheek, is that right?"_

_Emma looked at her with furrowed brows. "Why do you ask?"_

_Regina finally just caved. "Because I saw the pirate kiss you on the cheek, and it killed me. He doesn't deserve to touch you like that, and I thought to myself that since it wasn't on the lips, maybe you are just friends, and I still had a chance, but right now all I want to do is kiss you on the cheek, and forehead, and lips. I want to hold you and hug you, and I just all in all want to be with you. Because I've been in love with you for the past two years and I can't begin to explain how badly it hurts to know that, that repulsive pirate has a better chance of ever being with you than I do." Regina was breathing heavily now because she hadn't stopped to take a breath through the entire monolog she had just had._

_Emma sat there completely still as she stared at the brunette wide-eyed. "Y-You're in love with me?"_

_Regina gulped. "I am."_

_Emma nodded thoughtfully. "Okay." She looked away for a second seemingly in thought as the world became hazy to the Mayor standing before her, who was waiting impatiently to see if it would come crashing down around her with the rejection the blonde was most likely to give her._

_When Emma looked back, she was still wearing a thoughtful expression. "When you asked me out for drinks, were you asking me out on a date?"_

_Regina tightened her jaw muscles as she nodded once again._

_Emma smiled now. "Drinking is a terrible date idea."_

_Regina furrowed her brows. "You mean, y-you'd be willing to go on a date with me?"_

_Emma chuckled. "You seem surprised."_

" _I just never thought you'd be in love with me too."_

_Emma shook her head. "I don't want to give you the wrong idea. I'm not in love with you, but I do think that we have the perfect chemistry that can lead to us both being in love and happy in the future. As of right now, I'm willing to see where this goes, but I definitely don't want to give you false hope. Okay?"_

_Regina smiled widely. Of course, this was okay. She was going on a date with the marvelous Emma Swan._

Regina could feel the tears streaming down her face. She needed that chemistry she had with Emma back. She needed _Emma_ back. She would work diligently, and vigorously until the end of time, just to get her back. She was never _ever_ going to give up, especially now that they were friends again. Friends led to something more between them, before. Friends can lead to something more between them again.

  



	6. Chapter 6

After that night things went smoothly. Regina and Emma became closer and closer, and eventually, Emma began to start trusting Regina a bit more, but when they got back to Storybrooke, something terrible had happened.

When Regina was on her way to Granny's to meet up with Emma, Robin cornered her and forced a kiss on her. At that time, Emma had just rounded the corner on her crutches and caught them in the act. Regina immediately pulled away and begged Emma to give her a chance to explain, but when Emma allowed her, Robin spoke up and lied, saying that they've been together the entire time.

Regina's heart broke as she saw the pained expression on Emma's face. Then it broke even more as she heard Emma' last words to the brunette before the blonde relocated herself. "I should've listened to my parents I guess. I do hope you're happy though," and with that, the blonde vanished and hadn't spoken to Regina since.

It had been a month since all of that went down. Regina had tried millions of times to get the Charmings to let her talk to Emma, but they tenaciously refused. Now that Emma's arm was out of the sling and healed, she was staying back at her parent's loft with… _Elsa_.

Regina's biggest fear came true. Snow and David collectively convinced Emma to let Elsa apologize, and give her another chance, and now the Ice Queen was here in storybrooke taking care of _Regina's_ True Love. Elsa had given temporary reign of Arendelle to her little sister, and that weird man with the Reindeer, and came to Storybrooke as soon as Snow had called her from the enchanted mirror.

So, that is why she was there. Sitting in her beaten-up Mercedes watching the building the loft was in, and waiting for that idiotic Ice Bitch to leave to pick up Emma's pain medication.

She only had to wait another five minutes before the bubbly blonde exited the building, and strolled down the sidewalk towards the Dark Star Pharmacy.

Regina seized the moment. She got out of the car and grabbed her boom box. (Yes, they're old, but it's all she had) The brunette ran into the building, up the steps, and to the door of loft number 3. The former mayor shed her jacket, wiggled her shoulders to rid herself of tension, and pushed the play button on the boombox while simultaneously turning the volume up full blast. She didn't care what the neighbors would think.

When the music hit its entrance, she began to sing even if her voice sounded like a dying whale.

_"I can't win, I can't reign_

_I will never win this game_

_Without you, without you_

_I am lost, I am vain,_

_I will never be the same_

_Without you, without you."_

The door opened to reveal the beautiful blonde standing in the doorway with her crutches at her sides and a furrow on her brow.

Regina kept going.

_"I won't run, I won't fly_

_I will never make it by_

_Without you, without you_

_I can't rest, I can't fight_

_All I need is you and_ I _,_

_Without you, without you_

Oh-oh-oh _!_

_You! You! You!_

_Without..._

_You! You! You!_

_Without...you"_

Regina could see Emma's eyes glisten, and the brunette felt hope burn through her soul, so she kept singing. She refused to back down.

_"Can't erase, so I'll take blame_

_But I can't accept that we're estranged_

_Without you, without you_

_I can't quit now; this can't be right_

_I can't take one more sleepless night_

_Without you, without you."_

Emma took a step with her crutches toward Regina, and Regina could feel her own heart begin to beat faster with hope. She sang louder, putting her entire soul into it. Regina was nervous and completely terrified, just like before, but she saw Emma now, she saw how her eyes glistened, and she saw hope which gave her the courage to sing loud in proud in front of all the angry neighbors. She didn't care about them. All she cared about was the blonde in front of her staring at her in awe and something else that she couldn't quite make out.

So she kept going.

_"I won't soar, I won't climb_

_If you're not here, I'm paralyzed_

_Without you, without you_

_I can't look, I'm so blind_

_I lost my heart; I lost my mind_

_Without you, without you."_

The blonde crutched herself a few feet closer to the former mayor. Regina was finding it hard to focus on the song lyrics, but managed to do so anyway, and continued.

"Oh-oh-oh _!_

_You! You! You!_

_Without..._

_You! You! You!_

_Without...you"_

Emma now had her hand on Regina's shoulder, with tears in her eyes. Regina wanted to engulf her in her arms right there but finished the song first. She wasn't going to be a quitter. Not for Emma. Not ever.

_"I am lost, I am vain,_

_I will never be the same_

_Without you, without you_

_Without...you"_

When the music stopped, and the song was over. The two women stood in front of each other, both silently staring into the other's eyes. After a few minutes, Emma finally broke the silence. "Did you mean it?" She asked the brunette with a shaky voice.

Regina gulped down the lump in her throat to be able to answer. "Yes. Emma, that song explains exactly how I feel. I couldn't find a more fitting song even if I wanted to. I love you, Emma. Robin and I have been over since I ended our little charade all those years ago. I knew he was still living somewhere in town, but we barely talk, and when we do, all the conversation is, is him begging, and me shooting him down. I promise you. I know that it's hard to trust my promises, but I need you to believe me, because I can't keep on like this, Emma. I love you. I'm _in_ love with you. I have been since the day I laid eyes on you, and nothing will ever change that. I'm sorry for what I did, and I swear on my life I will never repeat those things. I'm not asking you to marry me right here right now; I'm just asking for a date. One time to see how it goes. Just give me this one chance. I know I don't deserve it, but I promise I'll be worth it." The brunette begged as she stared into those marvelous emerald eyes. She froze when she saw confliction in them.

"Wh-What's wrong?" She asked nervously.

Tears were now streaming from those beautiful jade eyes and falling to the beautiful pale cheeks. "I-I can't. I'm not sure if I want to, but even if I do, I can't."

Regina felt confusion and heartbreak all at once. "Why not?" She asked in a small and hurt voice.

"My parents told me I'm marrying Elsa." The blonde cried. "They say that she can make me happy and will never hurt me."

Regina felt anger rise through her. She knew how it felt to be forced into a marriage by parents who you just wanted to please. Elsa was Emma's Leopold, and Regina only hoped that she was Emma's, Daniel. "Emma, listen to me. I know you are stronger than this. You are the one with magical powers, not your parents; you don't have to do anything they tell you. If you marry Elsa just for your parents, it'll make you as miserable. If you want to marry her, then I won't stop you, no matter how hard it'll be to watch you walk down that aisle. However, if you don't want to marry her, please don't. You don't have to come back to me, but don't let your parents dictate your love life… _please_ don't follow the path that I've already traveled. I know where it leads, and I don't want you to have to go through that as well."

Regina stared pleadingly into Emma's gorgeous eyes until Emma nodded her head and spoke. "You're right," and then finally, after nine years, she slammed their lips together in one of the most magical kisses in all the realms.

Regina's heart beat faster than it ever had before. Emma had entirely consumed her senses. Her sight was consumed by visions of a possible future with the blonde currently sucking on her bottom lip. The only taste she could sense was the familiar and very welcomed taste of Emma's mouth. The only thing she could feel was Emma's lips moving against hers, and the blonde's body pressed carefully against hers. The only thing she could smell was the familiar scent of Emma: Cinnamon, Vanilla, and a hint of Lilac. The only sound she could hear was that of Emma's lips smacking against hers, the sound of her breath, and the sound of her heart. All she could think of was Emma Swan. Emma Swan was her past, present, and hopefully her future. Emma Swan was all consuming.

After they had pulled apart, Regina rested her head against Emma's. "I love you, Emma Swan. That kiss was everything I imagined it would be, times ten."

Emma smiled. "I'm so glad you came by tonight."

"Why is that, dear?" Regina asked with hope emanating off of her.

"Because I have to give my answer to Elsa in the morning, and I wasn't sure what it would be until now," Emma admitted.

Regina was terrified. Was this kiss a final goodbye? Her breathing became labored, but she decided to ask the question she needed the answer to before she completely panicked. "What did you choose?"

Emma smiled. "That I can't love Elsa the way that I loved you."

Regina smiled briefly before the word 'loved' tore through her like a wrecking ball. "L-loved?" She asked hoarsely.

Emma frowned. "I love you, Regina, but for me to love you as much as I did before, we've got to reconnect, we've got to build up the trust again. I want to love you like before. I almost do, but it'll take work. Once we rebuild that trust, I know that we will work."

Regina beamed the brightest smile she's ever smiled. She nodded. "Does this mean… we're dating?"

Emma laughed. "Well, that depends are you asking me on a date?"

Regina smiled as she nodded her head, which nodded Emma's in return. "Yes, Emma Swan, will you go on a date with me?"

"No drinking?" Emma joked.

"No, as I was told once by a beautiful blonde woman. 'Drinking is a terrible date idea.'" Regina chuckled.

"She sounds sagacious." Emma joked. "Yes, Regina Mills. I will most definitely go on a date with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * * *
> 
> **A/N** : **The song that Regina sang to Emma, is 'Without You' By David Guetta featuring Usher. I do not own it.**
> 
>  
> 
> ****  
> 


	7. Chapter 7

Regina had just walked out of the building that the Loft was in, and was on her way to her car when suddenly something hit her foot. Startled, she looked down and saw that her foot was now covered in ice. Realizing what was happening she looked up with wide eyes to see the blonde Ice Queen staring at her with a devilish glare. "Looks like the tables have turned, Queenie," Elsa said.

Regina was terrified, but she was not about to let this idiotic blonde know it. "What are you going to do? Kill me?" Regina said with her signature smirk plastered on her face.

Elsa grinned. "No, most definitely not, but you're going to 'attack' me again."

Regina scoffed. "Don't tempt me, dear. Trust me; I would if I didn't fear Emma's reaction to it. You've done nothing wrong this time, so obviously, the savior would have a problem with me doing that."

The Arendelle Regal grinned daringly at the former mayor. "Exactly! Which is why she will want me over you. You'll lose her, and the respect of the town, and most likely your freedom!" She said gleefully. She then took out a vial of a teal liquid and began drinking it. Once the vial was empty, Regina could see bruises, and cuts, and even a black eye and bloody lip appear on Elsa's face.

" _See,_ Regina? Having a common enemy with Rumpelstiltskin comes in handy on occasion."

Elsa laughed. She turned to walk away, but then seemed to remember something as she raised her pointer finger up in the air and stopped mid-stride. "Oh! I almost forgot!" The blonde queen said as she turned on her heel and hustled back over to the brunette. Once she reached Regina, Elsa punched her full-force in the eye, surely hard enough to blacken it. When Regina grunted in pain Elsa chuckled as she walked away "That's just self-defense, I mean you _did_ attack me first."

" **You'll _never_ get away with this you snow freak!** " The former queen yelled after the blonde. She let her shoulders sag in defeat. She wasn't quite confident that her statement was, in any way, true.

As Regina watched the woman who had probably just ruined her life walk away, she started stomping on her ice covered foot with her free one, trying desperately to smash the ice. After about ten minutes of doing so, she finally broke free and dashed back up to the loft. When she reached Loft number 3, she pounded on the green door frantically.

"EMMA! EMMA OPEN UP! I SWEAR IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!"

There was no response. She decided that the birth mother of her son must have magically relocated herself to her parent's mansion, and decided to drive there immediately. She didn't care if her ex-step-daughter/ex-mother-in-law would try to stop her, she couldn't let Emma think that she was turning evil again.

She ran down the stairs, and straight to her car. She started it up and sped through the streets of Storybrooke. She was paying no mind to the laws of traffic, which soon proved to be her downfall because if she had been following them, she wouldn't see the sheriff cruiser behind her with its lights flashing… Great.

**XXX**

When Elsa came into the loft after Regina had left, Emma thought nothing of it.

That was until she saw the blonde's battered and bruised face. "What the hell happened?!" Emma screamed.

Elsa smiled weakly. "Can you take us to your parents'?"

Emma nodded quickly. She grabbed her blonde friend's hand, and suddenly a white cloud appeared around them. When it disintegrated, hey were in the middle of the Mayoral Mansion's living room. "Mom! Dad! Anyone home?" Snow White quickly appeared.

"Emma! Are you okay? What's wrong!? Is it your leg?" Snow asked frantically.

Emma shook her head. She loved that her mom cared about her wellbeing but she's quite irritated at the pixie-cut mayor at the moment due to her trying to force her into a marriage. But clearly there was another threat to the city by the looks of Elsa's face, and she needed to talk to her mother about how to take down the threat. "No, I'm fine. Elsa, on the other hand, is not." She said as she gestured to Elsa.

Snow looked over to the Royal woman before her, and her jaw dropped. "What the hell did that to you?!" Snow yelled.

Elsa smiled weakly, "It's actually more of a _who_.."

Snow closed her dropped jaw and straightened herself in order to regain some dignity. "Okay, well, then _who_ did this to you?"

Elsa lowered her eyes to the floor refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Something that seemed a bit odd to Emma, but she quickly shook it off and believed it to be due to Elsa's shock from just being attacked. "Re-Regina."

Emma froze. Regina did this again? That doesn't make much sense. Why would she do that? "Wh-what?"

Snow didn't seem to have even a second thought. She immediately dialed on her phone and waited for a few seconds. "David! You need to find Regina and arrest her pronto. She's finally snapped again. She beat the living daylights out of our Elsa."

Emma cringed 'our Elsa.' They act like they're already married. "Mom, no! There has to be some other explanation for this! Regina wouldn't have just att-"

Snow interrupted that train of thought. 'That's exactly what you thought about her last time. 'Regina has changed, she's reformed she would never hurt me or anyone ever again!', But sweetheart, surely by now you understand that Regina can't change.. She's just Evil. That's all she'll ever be." Her mother said curtly before rejoining the phone conversation and walking out of the room.

Emma felt her blood boiling, but she couldn't argue with her mother, not right now. She didn't want to disappoint her parents more than she already was about to when she finally told them that she was going to refuse Elsa's marriage proposal. Right now wasn't the time for either of those things, though. First, she had to figure out what the hell happened, and from there she could start a plan. She wasn't going to let this go until she got the full story.

Then she could disappoint her parents, and beg them to still love her. She wasn't sure what she'd do if she ended up having to choose between her family, that she finally found after all these years or Regina. She wasn't quite ready to start all over again with The Former Evil Queen. However, that didn't mean she wanted to lose her, for god's sake she loved her, but if Regina truly did do this (Which she didn't quite believe just yet), there would be no chance she would go back to her after this.

Once Snow left, Emma turned to Elsa and stared at her quizzically for a few more moments in an effort to decide how to approach this situation. She shrugged and decided it didn't really matter. "What the hell happened? Why would she just attack you like that?"

Elsa sighed and shook her head. "I don't know, Em. All I know is that I was coming up to the loft and she came down from the steps at the same time, then she flipped when she saw me. Screaming saying that I can't have you, that you're hers. She swung, and I tried to fight back without magic. I think I got her a couple times in the face, but I'm not sure."

Emma sighed. She thought she could trust Regina. That Regina was changing… What the hell happened?

Snow came in with a grave look on her face. "There's already a crowd. It's time to deal with the Evil Queen once and for all. I was really hoping it wouldn't have to come to this."

Emma began to panic. Snow was going to KILL Regina!? _This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever_. She was going to murder Regina for getting into a fist fight!? Was this even reality right now?! She needed to talk to Regina, and she needed to talk to Regina now.

**XXX**

Regina was in handcuffs in the back of the cruiser, on her way to what she presumed was the jail. _Just great. Emma thinks I'm Evil, and now I'm going to be spending a few weeks behind bars for trying to get to her and tell her the truth. Fabulous._ Regina thinks to herself.

As the cruiser pulled up to the Sheriff station, Regina could see the crowd of angry townspeople chanted for Regina's demise. She wouldn't let it show, but her heart was completely broken by the sight. All these years of trying to win the acceptance of the town were completely wasted. _There was no chance that they would forgive me for my past wrong-doings._ Regina thought to herself. _There's no way Emma is going to trust me over Elsa, and her insipid parents either._ At that thought, she felt a tear stream down her olive cheeks, just as the cruiser door was opened, and she was roughly yanked out of the backseat by Prince Charming himself.

"Could you at least be a little gentler, Charming? I know you hate me, but I _am_ a woman, and I most certainly think that a man with your last name would treat a lady better than this." Regina quipped.

David grunted at her and tightened his already tight grip on the small woman's bicep. "You're nothing of the sort, Regina. After everything you've done to everyone in this town, it's taking all of my power not to just kill you right here and now instead of waiting an hour."

Regina's heart sunk into her chest. After everything she had done, her fall would indeed come at the hands of the two people that she had treated so terribly for decades on end. The truest loves would indeed be her demise. Snow White and Prince Charming would truly be the death of her.

As they walked through the crowd, she heard thousands of hateful slurs, defamations, and obloquy being sent her way along with trash, and anything else the hateful citizens of Storybrooke could find. She just wanted this to be over with, she genuinely didn't care that she was about to die anymore. What did she have to live for? Her town wanted her dead because they believed she had punched someone a few times. They didn't care that 'she' hadn't hurt her severely, and they didn't care if she was innocent or not. This town had no justice system whatsoever. They just wanted to be rid of the Evil Queen once and for all whether it was justified or not. They'd use any excuse possible to get rid of her, and that is precisely what they were doing because a fist-fight (especially an imaginary one) didn't constitute a death sentence. Not even from her old standards as the Evil Queen.

As they got through the crowd and into the Sheriff station, David pushed Regina, with incredible force into the cell which caused the reformed woman to lose her balance and fall to the ground; hitting her head on the floor, which inevitably left a goose egg. She stood up as the father of the woman she loved slammed the cell door closed and turned to walk away. "I didn't do this, you know." She called after the dirty blonde man. "You may hate me, you may wish I was never born, but you know that this so-called 'fight' never happened. You know this."

"Shut your mouth! You can't be trusted! You only cause misery and heartache!" He seethed.

Regina fought to hold back her smirk. "That may be true. But do you really want to take your grandson's mother away from him?" She asked. The man's facade of confidence faltered, but he quickly repositioned it, so Regina kept going. "You may hate me for everything I put your family through, you may have only put up with me for the sake of Emma, and Henry, but you know damn well I wouldn't go toe-to-toe with someone if I thought for a single second it would hinder my progress with Emma."

David's confident expression turned into an icy glare. "You know, when Emma first told me about your relationship all those years ago, Snow fought Emma hard saying that all you'd end up doing was hurt her because you were a selfish, evil, bitch. She kept telling Emma that you couldn't love and that you couldn't be trusted. I stood up for you, just as Emma did. You made us both look like fools. You broke my daughter's heart, you broke my little girl. The moment I heard that you cheated on her, Snow had to hold me back from going to that stupid mansion with my gun, because that was my natural instinct as a father. My little girl called me from the road with a hoarse, shaky, and tear-filled voice telling me she had to leave because if she stayed and saw you every day, she wasn't sure if she could refrain from her suicidal thoughts. She was so indefinitely in love with you that she couldn't bear to watch you with another, so honestly, Regina… I'm doing them both a favor either way because the only person you'll ever care about is yourself."

With that, Prince David walked down the hall and disappeared into the office.

An hour later, Charming yanked her out of the cell, and forced her outside to stand on a platform in the middle of the crowd of angry Storybook characters and was chained to a wooden post that was surrounded by hay, and smelled like gasoline. Snow White stood by and watched her husband chain her former stepmother to the post before she nodded and started reading from a scroll in her hands. "My loyal subjects," the crowd began to cheer for their saintly mayor, so Snow let the noise simmer down before she continued. "Today, the Evil Queen attacked our beloved Elsa, Queen of Arendelle, and keeper of my daughter, _your_ Savior's, heart. She did this out of pure hatred, and envy." The crowd started an uproar in agreement before Snow continued. "Today was the last straw, the Evil Queen has hurt far too many, and we are here today to do what we were too kind to do before… Today we end the Evil Queen."

The crowd began cheering uncontrollably for about another thirty seconds before Snow turned to Regina and read her the sentence she was going to bestow upon her. "Regina Mills," She said authoritatively. "You are hereby sentenced to death by fire."

Regina was in a state of nothing but heartache, terror, and earth shattering sobs. She didn't care that she was dying, but she did care that Emma would never know that truth, that the blonde would forever think of her as Evil, and Regina was terrified of the excruciating pain she was about to go through.

Snow then Walked over to the woman with a match. "Any last words?" she asked with obvious malice sounding through her voice.

Regina bit back her sob and tried to avoid letting the people see that she was trembling. She opened her mouth to declare her innocence one last time. "I didn't do this! Please! Lock me up, kill me, I don't care, please just let me talk to Emma one last time!" She was about to continue to beg to see her savior one last time but was cut off by a cloud of white smoke joining her and the charming idiots on the platform.

Regina's heart sank.

Emma wanted to watch her execution as well.

When the cloud evaporated, Emma was standing with her crutches on each side, and staring down her parents with an expression of fury written all over her face. "Maybe someday she will have last words, Mother, but it won't be today." She sneered.

Regina felt her tears cascade down her face. At least Emma didn't want her to die.

"Emma, honey. It's for the best. She will just continue to hurt everyone if we don't stop it now." Snow declared

Emma's face scrunched up, and she clenched her fists tighter around the handles of her crutches. "That's a woman who wants to change." The blonde said as she gestured towards Regina. "She just wants everyone else to see it. I know that look. I know her. I _believe_ her." Emma said, repeating her monolog from all those years ago when her mother framed her for 'Archie's' death.

David scoffed. "With all due respect, you believed that when you married her, but she still went out on your marriage. She still broke your heart. You didn't know her as well as you thought back then, what makes her any different now?"

"She's apologized profusely and tried incredibly hard to make up for what she did. She regrets her choice to hurt Henry and me, just like she regrets the decision to hurt all of you. Once she apologized to all of you and started her road to redemption did she ever fall back and hurt any of you in any way? Did she repeat her mistakes? **No**. She's done nothing to any of you, except save your lives countless times for the past 14 fucking years! Yet you all still villainize her? You refuse her a home, and you refuse her the necessities to live? How does that make you any better than the Evil Queen? It doesn't! Regina _isn't_ the evil queen anymore. That's what the problem here is. In the Enchanted Forest, she was the Evil Queen, but here? Here she is just Regina Mills, and if you all can't see that you aren't worth my damn time." The blonde woman stated. She crutched her way over to her ex-wife, and waved her hand in her direction, unchaining the brunette woman. "You were going to set this broken woman on fire just because she punched an arrogant Queen that couldn't handle not getting the girl? You were going to kill the mother of your beloved grandson? You were going to kill the woman that your daughter loves? All because that dumb blonde said Regina punched her? She's changed. She has no powers which means that she's harmless, yet you still insist on killing her? She's not stupid, she wouldn't attack Elsa who has very strong magic, when she has none of her own to help defend herself with. She's not an idiot. She's been trying for so long to earn your acceptance, and you pretend to give it to her for my sake, and then take it back the moment I'm gone. Regina isn't the evil one here anymore, you all are! You aren't the people I grew to know and love, you are disgusting and frankly pathetic. Oh! Mother Superior, did you forget that since Regina here, paid for your Convent's reconstruction, you still owe her $506,000 dollars? Granny, did you forget that Regina let you off with a warning for getting so wasted on New Years and streaking down Main Street? Snow, did you forget that she broke the sleeping curse the Black Fairy put you in? Did you ALL forget that she's saved us ALL from every single threat that's made its way into this town? Because I haven't. You all should be ashamed of yourselves." She finished as she enveloped the crying brunette into a tight hug.

Regina returned the embrace tightly and whispered into her ex-wife's ear. "You saved me."

Emma nodded her head that was resting on Regina's shoulder. "Of course I did. The thought of you dying destroyed me. I'll always save you, but first I have a couple of people to punch." She said as she released the brunette, and turned around to face the crowd.

Regina watched in awe as she saw the woman she loved levitate Mother Superior up to the platform right in front of her and deck her straight in the face. "Don't even think for a second that this makes us okay!" The former sheriff yelled. "You will pay back everything you charged Regina, and you will also pay her back the $506,000 that you still owe her with interest. Do you understand?" Mother superior nodded, ran off the platform, and disappeared.

Regina couldn't help herself, she needed to kiss Emma, and she wasn't about to wait any longer. She took two steps towards the Savior, spun her around, and was about to kiss her when she felt herself being relocated by magic. When the cloud of white evaporated, she was now standing on the porch of the house Emma had bought for her, with the beautiful blonde.

Emma put a hand on each of the brunette's shoulders and examined her face. "I think I can heal that if you'd like?"

Regina looked at the woman with hooded eyes as she nodded while butterflies danced in her abdomen, and her heart did gymnastics in her chest. "Please." She whispered.

Emma brought her hands to Regina's face and let the magic flow through them. Regina could feel her lip repairing itself, and her bruised eye healing. When her face was back to normal Emma removed her hands from Regina's face and smiled. "There. Now let's get you packed."

Regina furrowed her brows. "What are you talking about? Where am I going?"

Emma smiled and leaned into Regina to connect their lips in a searing, passionate kiss. One that portrayed all of the love the two women had for each other, and sent Regina's blood pressure way above recommended levels. That was okay though, because she never wanted this kiss to end. Never.

As Emma broke away breathing heavily, she rested her forehead against Regina's and spoke softly, yet determined. "To Boston. With me."


	8. Chapter 8

Regina's heart fluttered. Did this mean that they would be together again? No Emma wouldn't want that. She's just doing her duty as savior and is saving her from the town… Right? "Wh-what do you mean? What about the house, or my job? I'll lose my job if I just up and leave."

"The house will still be here if we ever come back, and if we ever did come back, you won't need a job, you'll finally have all the money that Blue stole from you over the years. Which adds up to about $800,000. You'll be set on that front." Emma said confidently.

"I understand, but I have no money just to pack up and go. I have no money for a place to sleep or food to eat. I'm stuck." Regina admitted sadly.

"You don't need to worry about that, Regina. I have a ton of money saved up from a big bust a did about six months ago. That's why I didn't even hesitate to buy this house. We'll be fine."

The confidence in Emma's voice made Regina feel safe, but she wasn't quite sure what the blonde was implying. Were they going to be staying together? If so, were they back together, or just friends? Would Emma be resuming her job as a Bonds person? The last thought terrified Regina. She couldn't bear the thought of Emma going back into such a dangerous profession, but it wasn't quite her job to tell her that. Not yet, at least.

"So, where am I to stay?" Regina wasn't going to tell Emma no. She had never planned on resisting from the beginning; she would do anything the blonde asked of her. She just needed the details.

The furrow of Emma's brows told Regina that the answer to her question was completely obvious, but Regina still had absolutely no idea what it was. "With me... unless that's not comfortable with you?"

Regina shook her head vehemently. She hadn't meant to imply that she wouldn't want to stay with Emma. In fact. That's ALL she wanted to do. For the rest of eternity. "No! No, that's definitely a comfortable living situation, I just didn't think that was what you wanted."

Understanding took over Emma's face, and the blonde nodded in comprehension. "I see. Well, you are wrong. There's a second bedroom at my place just asking to be used, so there's no reason to be stingy and keep my house all to myself." The blonde finished with a smile and kissed Regina's cheek sending shockwaves of a tingling sensation throughout the former mayor's entire body.

Regina looked up into Emma's eyes and saw nothing but compassion, concern, and… love? She craved the taste of her lips so desperately that she wanted permission. "C-can I... um." Regina trailed off. She wasn't quite sure if she should ask. They had made so much progress that it seemed silly to begin to get impatient now. She could wait. She _would_ wait. There was no reason to ruin all of the headway they've finally gained due to lack of control. But the damage was already done, she could tell by the expectant look Emma was directing at her. When Regina remained silent, Emma spoke.

"Can you what?" She asked gently.

Regina swallowed nervously. "Can I.. um…" She was hurriedly thinking of something to ask that would make sense. When she finally thought of something she regained the strength to look the blonde in the eye. "Can I drive?" She asks with a nervous voice. "I don't think it's fair to make you drive with a broken leg and all.

Emma was about to speak when they were rudely interrupted by a now very pissed off Elsa. "Emma Swan what the hell?! You are supposed to marry me, yet you go back to the bitch that cheated on you?! You hate her!"

Regina can feel her heart try to rip itself away from her to numb the pain From the words of the Ice Queen. Did Emma really hate her at one point? Elsa was right; the blonde would make Emma happier than Regina ever could.

Emma stiffened and turned around to look at the pissed off woman before her. Putting herself between Regina and Elsa in an attempt to protect the brunette. Making Regina flush and fall even more in love with her. "Elsa, just fucking go. I'm not in the mood for this."Said the blonde as she used herself as a human shield for Regina.

Elsa glared at Emma. "You're seriously protecting her? After her affair? Why won't you just give me a chance? Em, I love-"

"No. Don't pull the 'I love you just take a chance on me' card. That would have worked about a week ago, but once you put your hands on my ex-wife, and almost got her burned to death in front of the entire town, you ruined any chance you had with me. Regina may have destroyed me, but she at least is making up for it. You? You don't even seem a **bit** remorseful. I love her. I always will. I don't know if we'll ever have something again, but it looks promising. You and I, though, don't have a chance. We would've if you hadn't been a cunt, and tried to hurt the woman who will always matter to me. SO, go away. _NOW_."

Elsa glared daggers at Regina, her fingers lighting up with magic due to her intense fury. "This isn't over Miss Mills."

Regina rolled her eyes. "It is if Emma says it is."

The blonde queen turned around with a huff and stomped away.

Once The Ice Bitch had disappeared Regina returned her gaze to the woman that owned her heart. "You saved me." She murmured.

Emma nodded.

"Twice in less than thirty minutes." Regina chuckled.

Emma smiled shyly and nodded in affirmation once more.

Regina sighed. "I will never be able to thank you enough. Today you've just proven my theory that I am not good enough for you. I hurt you in a way that is unforgivable, yet you are trying to forgive me anyway. To top it all off, even after I betrayed you, you still let me see my son when he wanted to, got me a job, a house, and therapy sessions to help with my depression. You helped me rebuild my life, even when I don't deserve to have one. Then you save my life multiple times and defend me against your own parents in less than a half hour. You truly are the epitome of goodness. I will never understand how I ever owned your heart, but I will always be grateful that I had a chance to call you mine. I will always love you no matter what happens between us, and I will always hate myself for betraying you the way that I did. I just hope that once you decide not to be with me, we can still at least remain friends. I don't know what I'd do if I completely lost you again."

"Regina, I love you. I want to see where this regained connection takes us. That is why I agreed to go on a no-strings-attached date with you sometime, and if it goes well we will go on as many no-strings-attached dates as it takes to determine whether we attach strings, or leave things the way they are. Okay?"

Regina nodded as a response to the blonde haired beauty. Not entirely comforted because she wasn't quite sure how the first date would go. She was terrified of messing it all up and ruining what they've already regained. She was just about to say as much when they heard yelling down the street. When the former mayor turned her attention to the direction that the noise came from, she saw a group of angry villagers lead by the Charmings themselves.

"Oh, for the love of god..." Emma muttered angrily. "Why the hell are they so persistent? You didn't even do it."

Regina gulped. Emma would never choose her over her doting parents that she spent almost three decades searching for because of her. This was it. Snow came back for her daughter once again, and this time signed Regina's death certificate by doing so. Regina held her breath as her heart began beating quickly out of terror.

Emma once again put her body between the mob, and Regina, using herself as a human shield. "Mom, Dad… Please. You know she didn't do it, just stop. I love you guys, but please you know that this isn't what heroes do."

Snow scoffed. "She's brainwashed you, Emma. I'm your mother. I know what's best for you, and marrying Elsa, and living out your Happy Ending is what's best for you."

Regina tensed at the mention of that dreaded blonde woman. By doing so, she earned a quick, comforting squeeze of her arm by the blonde that was still facing the crowd and protecting the other woman with her own body.

"Mom, please." Emma pleaded with a broken voice. "This isn't you, what's going on? Why are you acting like this!?"

Right after Emma asked the question, a puff of black smoke appeared in front of the crowd who seemed to have frozen in place.

Regina tensed even more as both ex-wives simultaneously realized who had just appeared before them

" _Rumple."_

__  



	9. Chapter 9

**WARNING: Mention of miscarriage in this chapter.**

* * *

As soon as both women uttered the Dark One's name, the man smirked his signature smirk and began to speak in his evil and nasally voice. "Well, Hello, dearies. A pleasure to see you so close once again."

Regina's anger began to get the best of her, and she pushed Emma to the side. "Gold, what the hell do you want?" She asked in her regal-bitchy voice.

"Well, justice, of course. What else am I ever after?" He asked.

Regina clenched her jaw and spoke through gritted teeth. "If you're here to do what I think you're going to do, you're going to fail. You know Emma can defeat you."

Rumple laughed sarcastically. "Come on now, Your Majesty, we both know that with her leg still in a cast that will most definitely not happen."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, you prick. What the hell do you want, Rumple?"

The man laughed his evil, high-pitched giggle. "I want to take you away from the Evil Queen once and for all."

Emma scoffed. "You're so immature. What the fuck did she do this time? Accidentally rub shoulders with you while passing in the street? Grow up."

Rumpelstiltskin giggled once more. "She doesn't know, does she?" He asks the former mayor.

Regina's eyes widened, and her heart began beating expeditiously inside her chest. _Fuck._ She cursed to herself. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. **FUCK!**_ "Mr. Gold, please don't. I'll give you anything, just, please… Not this." She begged the older man.

The sheriff turned to the former mayor with puzzlement written all over her face. "Gina, what's going on?"

Regina felt like she was going to hyperventilate. "N-nothing, Emma. Everything is fine."

"Don't lie to me, Regina. What the fuck is going on?"

Regina gulped. "Emma, please."

The blonde shook her head. "How the hell am I supposed to trust you again, when you are keeping secrets from me? "

Regina felt tears stream down her eyes. "Emma, it's got nothing to do with us. Please."

Rumpelstiltskin chuckled. "Ohhhhh, but it does, dearie. Tell the beautiful ex-wife of yours how you got Gideon to cooperate with you the night Emma thought you were kissing her boyfriend at the time."

Emma's eyes widened with understanding. "You made a deal with the son of Rumpelstiltskin?!"

Regina immediately shook her head. "No!" She looked at the blonde and saw the look of relief on her face, and instantly felt guilt. "Well, I..." Regina trailed off. How was she to explain this?

"That she did. She did much worse than that, actually."

"Rumple!" Regina yelled. "Please, just stop!"

"Stop!? Why should I stop? Maybe you should stop tearing families apart, dearie. That's what you're good at. You do it to your own family as well. Shall I tell our dear Savior what happened, or shall you?"

Regina stood frozen in place. She couldn't think straight. She couldn't move, and there was no way in hell she was able to speak sensibly. She was too scared of the outcome of this next conversation.

Much to Regina's dismay, after a few moments of silence, Rumple began to explain everything to Emma. "Well, dearie. It starts like this: Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was an Evil Queen and a Dark One. One day, the Dark One was strolling through the woods to clear his mind while his pregnant girlfriend was in his castle. When all of a sudden, the Evil Queen attacks the Dark One from behind, ripping out his heart, and began to use it to control the Dark One. Forcing him to get rid of his newborn child, and deceive his True Love, making her believe that their first born had died at birth. _Then_ commanded him to never speak of this with her ever again, and to never go searching for the boy."

Emma stood motionless with her crutches. Trying to wrap her head around the story and why it mattered now, causing Regina to feel dizzy from fear when Rumple continued.

"After decades, the long-lost son of the Dark One, and his true love came back searching for a way to give the people of the Dark Forest a happy ending, in doing so he ran into the Evil Queen who was responsible for his abandonment, but he didn't know that. He ends up screwing things up in the process of trying to find his people's happy endings. So the Evil Queen tells him if he can help her fix the mess he made and get her 'wife' to understand that she didn't betray her a second time, she will help him get his 'revenge' against his father.

When the Dark One's son accomplishes his goal, the Evil Queen tells the son that it was all his father's doings. That the Dark One intentionally abandoned the boy at birth and purposely deceived the woman he loved. Causing the boy to go to the Dark One's place, and tell his mother everything that the Evil Queen said, and getting the Dark One's wife to leave him. The End." Rumple finished by glaring daggers at Regina.

Regina was trembling. She had no idea how Emma would react to this. After everything she had done for the brunette, Regina had paid her back by keeping a huge secret from her. After about ten minutes Rumple spoke again. "Also, to answer your question, Emma. The entire town hates Regina so strongly because Tinkerbell put a resentment curse in the punch at Granny's Diner the day after everyone found out you had cheated on Emma. It manifests the resentment people have towards a particular person, place or thing, and turns it into the purest, and strongest form of hatred. The only way to break it is for Regina to have true love's kiss." He smirked knowing that there was no way that that would be happening anytime soon now and then disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke along with the angry mob.

Regina immediately wished that the mob remained in front of them so they could just end this terrible nightmare she caused herself. She turned to the blonde preparing for a punch or a screaming Emma, but instead, she was faced with something much more devastating than both of those combined. She was met with a disappointed and betrayed Emma.

"I-" The blonde trailed off with a shake of her head. "You had a chance to make things right. You had an opportunity to fix the things you broke in the past, but you didn't. Why?"

Regina relaxed a little. Emma was giving her a chance to explain herself. "I-I don't know." She admits. "I know I've ruined every opportunity that Rumple has had at turning from the darkness. I know that when his son was born, he was trying to turn away from the darkness to be a better man for Belle and Gideon, and then I took his son away from him. Then, years later, I kidnapped the woman he loved and made her believe that she was insane for almost three decades. I know that I messed up again two months ago, and I know that I destroyed it again, but I think I was just so mad that he took my magic away that I didn't think clearly. I'm so sorry, I know that he stole my magic as a punishment for everything I've done to him, and to everyone else and that it was a quite reasonable and mild punishment considering everything I've done, but I wasn't thinking clearly. I really don't know if that truly is the reason or not, but I will fix this. I promise, just, please… Please don't hate me."

"I don't hate you. I just need time alone. To think. I'll… talk to you later." The blonde said as she turned to crutch herself away.

Regina began to panic. If Emma left now, she wasn't sure she could ever win her back, and she knew for a fact she would be dead in the morning without Emma there to provide her with protection. She gently grabbed Emma's shoulder. "Wait!" She pleaded, successfully getting the blonde to pause her movements. "If you want space, that's okay with me. I'll give it to you, but please, don't abandon me. I'll be dead in an hour if I don't have your protection, and I really don't want to die. Not when I have so much to fix."

Emma nodded. "I'll stay in the guest room."

Regina fought back a smile as she nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Emma. I know you owe me nothing, but thank you."

"Yeah, well. I couldn't live with myself if you died because I was mad, so." Emma said petulantly.

Regina nodded as she helped Emma up the steps and to the guest bedroom. When Emma was comfortable in the bed, Regina made her way to the door but was halted by Emma's voice calling for her. Regina swiftly rotated 360°. "Are you not comfortable? Do you need something?"

Emma shook her head. "I just wanted to let you know that I understand."

Regina's heart pounded with hope. That sounded a lot like forgiveness, but the question was, to which mistake? "You understand what?" Regina asked through a cracking voice.

"I understand why you didn't tell Gideon the truth back then."

Regina's heart fell, of course, that was what she meant. There was nothing for Emma to understand about Regina cheating on her. There was no way to justify that whatsoever, and Emma may never forgive her for that. "You do?" She asked.

Emma nodded in assertion. "You were scared he would go back on his word if you ruined his chance at ruining Rumple's happy ending, and his ability to give the people in the Dark Forest their own. You were afraid of losing me. I'm not saying it was a good enough reason, but it's an understandable one. It doesn't make you evil; it makes you human. What I really am upset about is that you hid it from me for all these months and that you still haven't fixed it. Rumple may be the Dark One, but he was trying very hard to Redeem himself, just like you. It isn't fair that you get to have people on your corner, while you take away the people in his. Once you fix this, we can talk and make up on this front. Then see about that date, and ending that curse. Okay?"

Regina smiled. Emma was always so understanding, and forgiving that it amazed her on many different levels. "I was already thinking of ways to fix this, and places to find them. Where would Belle even go?" Regina asked exasperatedly.

Emma chuckled. "Did you try the loft above the library?"

Regina snapped her fingers. "That's brilliant! I will check there first, and if they're not there, then I will check with Ruby. She and Belle have been pretty close lately."

"I know, if she wasn't so in love with Dorothy, I'd think that Ruby was crushing on Belle." Emma chuckled.

"Well, we both know that it'd be to no avail." Regina smiled.

Emma nodded with a grin. "Well, yes that's obvious, but you still have to fix things between Belle, Gideon, and Rumple, either way, so you better get going."

Regina nodded."Right! I am on my way now. I will be back, and I will have mended things between the family, and most likely ruined my reputation further, but I will do the right thing, Emma. I will always do the right thing from this day forward. I want to be good again."

"You are good, Regina. You just need a little guidance here and there, but you always want to do the right thing." Emma said.

Regina was baffled. How could this woman before her believe that the former _Evil Queen_ was anything but bad? Especially after how much she's put her through? "How can you say that after I betrayed you? After I ruined our marriage and tore our family apart? AfterI ripped an entire population from their homeland and brought them to a foreign one and brainwashed them into bending to my control and wiping their memories completely? How can you possibly think that I am anything but a selfish, vindictive murdering sociopath?" Regina asked incredulously.

Emma sighed and shook her head slowly as she looked at the floor. "Back then you weren't thinking about anyone but yourself, but before that, you always thought of your family. I do know that you are back to thinking about the people you love again, so that's how I can say that."

Regina felt her heart flutter. Emma believing that she is no longer being selfish was a huge success, but it wasn't forgiveness. She would never stop fighting for her Redemption. No matter what. "Do you think you will ever be able to forgive me?" She asked in a small voice. "Do you ever believe that you can someday forgive me for cheating on you? For breaking your heart? More importantly… For breaking Henry's heart?"

Emma looked into her eyes, and Regina could see the confliction, the pain, the confusion, and, most importantly, the honesty. "I'm getting there. I'm trying. I really am, but you've got to tell me now, are there any more secrets I should know about? If there is, now's the time to come clean. Because if I have to find out from another third party that you're hiding something from me, I'm just going to give up. I'm done with games. I want honesty. I want to be able to trust you."

Regina let out a shaky breath. "There's only one thing that I haven't told you."

Emma gestured with her hand for Regina to elaborate.

"After you left, I stayed with Robin for a while. We didn't sleep together after you caught us making out in our bed, but right after I completely ended things between him and I, I found out I was… pregnant."

Emma's eyes went wide, and her face went pale. She was about to speak when Regina held out a hand to stop her. "Please, let me explain before you turn me into a pillar of salt" She pleaded.

Emma nodded slowly with hurt in her eyes, and Regina continued shakily.

"I was completely flabbergasted, and I felt even angrier with myself for being so idiotic. I didn't understand how I could have gotten pregnant when I had taken an infertility potion almost four decades ago. So I went to my vault and read up on the potion. I soon realized that when you and I first kissed, it ended that curse, because you and I shared true love. We aren't _fated_ true loves, but our love is just as strong. So we can technically share True Love's kiss. We are the first couple ever that was able to _choose_ our True Love."

Emma waited for Regina to explain what happened to the baby, but when the brunette just stayed sitting there with her head bowed, and eyes closed, the blonde realized that she would have to ask. "What happened to the baby?"

Regina sighed. "I lost it.." She wiped her tears from the corner of her eyes and then raised her head to look the blonde in the eyes. "I lost it because I can only carry the child of my true love, or the potion will end up killing any child that I conceive."

"B-but I can't get you pregnant… So are you saying you still can't have a child anyway?" Emma asked with a stunned expression on her face.

Regina shook her head. "No, I'm saying that I can't carry a child that isn't going to be raised by the both of us." She waited to see if the blonde would comprehend what she was saying, but when the Savior didn't show any sign of understanding the former mayor, Regina sighed and explained further. "If you and I decided to have a child together, and we wanted me to be the one to carry it, then we could do an insemination. As long as we intended to raise that child as OUR own, the potion would allow me to carry it to full term, and birth it."

Emma nodded. "That makes sense I suppose." She said distantly. "But you do realize that if we end up getting back together, I don't want another child, right? Henry is enough for me. He's all I'll need; I hope that doesn't upset you."

Regina sighed of relief. "Oh thank God."

They both laughed in synch. The ex-wives finally agreed on something. It made them both happy to have an intimate moment, but just as quickly as the light-hearted moment began, it ended.

"Alright, Gina. You better get going. Belle and Gideon still have to know the truth." Emma reminded the brunette.

"Right! I will be back once everything is fixed. I promise." Regina said with a shy smile.

Emma smiled. "I believe in you. You've got this!"

Regina's heart filled with courage, and happiness at the confession from the blonde. Emma believed in her. That's all she needed. She now knew without a doubt that she could do this.

**XXX**

That night, after a long and exhausting day of bickering with the Gold family, and being punched multiple times by Belle (rightfully so), Regina was finally home. As she walked into the house, she found Emma on the couch napping.

She smiled, walked over to the beautiful napping blonde and covered her up with a blanket that was draped over the back of the sofa. She then kissed her the Savior's forehead. "I would do anything to show you how much I love you. To win you back, and I'm so scared that it's already too late." She whispered sadly to her sleeping ex-wife. The only reason she finally said it out loud was that she knew that the blonde wouldn't hear her.

But she _did._


	10. Chapter 10

Regina stood up from leaning over the Sheriff, and turned to walk away, but was halted in place as she heard the blonde's next words.

"Anything?"

Regina's eyes widened. If Emma was asking if Regina truly meant anything, then the blonde already had something in mind. Something that was potentially very, _very_ loathsome for the former mayor. She didn't care though, if doing whatever task her ex-wife had planned would end up in a possible chance at winning her back, she'd do it repeatedly for the rest of her life. She turned on her heel to face the blonde laying on her couch half-awake and connected their eyes.

"Yes." She said unwaveringly. "Anything."

Emma sat up on the couch. "Then let's schedule that date."

Regina's felt like her soul had left her body, and gone to heaven. Emma just asked to plan the date. She felt her smile grow wide across her face. "Yes, lets!

**XXX**

Regina took a deep breath before knocking on the door to Emma's room door. It had been a month since everything happened between the 'anti-Regina' mob and the Golds. The entire town was still under the curse, but Emma had told them that the law would be inflicted ten-fold on anyone who touched Regina. Which of course, just made Regina fall in love with the Sheriff even more.

Over the past month, they had become friends again. Emma managed to forgive Regina for lying to her, and they had started mending all of their issues. Regina was still waiting for the forgiveness on the biggest betrayal…. The cheating. But besides that, all wounds were healed between the two, and they had become as close of friends as they had when Regina finally admitted her feelings. Her hope that this date would be the finally bandage to heal their relationship, and get Emma to give them a second chance at being together had grown exponentially, which only increased her nervousness.

Emma finally opened the door to show her standing there on her newly-healed leg, and instantly took Regina's breath away by how amazing she looked. "I-" she stopped herself from speaking in order to regain her bearings, which caused Emma to smile.

"You like what you see?" Emma asked with a chuckle.

Regina nodded with wide eyes.

Emma laughed once again, before closing her bedroom door, and linking her arm with Regina's. "Let's go. Where are you taking me?"

Regina smiled. "It's a surprise, dear."

**XXX**

As the sat down at their table at Tony's diner, Regina looked up at Emma with a nervous smile, not quite sure what to say next.

Emma seemed to catch on to Regina's uncomfortableness but took it as a sign that the brunette had changed her mind about tonight. "You appear to be uncomfortable" the blonde offered. "Do you want to leave?"

Regina instantly responded with a loud "NO!"

Emma jumped at the sudden and unexpected outburst but then smirked. "Geeze, Gina. I didn't realize that you were so passionate." she joked.

Regina laughed. "I'm sorry, I just.. I want this to go right. I want to prove that I'm the same women you fell in love with. I want you to enjoy this, and I want to be the reason you smile again."

Emma smiled warmly at her ex-wife. "I'm sure if you just be yourself, and I do the same, we will

have a lovely evening."

"I hope so," Regina admitted sadly.

"I know so, Regina. You know we have a strong connection, no matter what happens we will always have that. We will always be in each other's lives now that we've fixed many of our issues."

Regina frowned. She knew that she would always have Emma in her life now, but she couldn't bear knowing that Emma still hadn't fully forgiven her for her adultery and that because of that Emma may never agree to a relationship again. She decided that though she might not ever get to hold Emma again or kiss her on the lips once more, she would enjoy every part of her that she could have, starting with this date. She wiped the frown off of her face and gestured for the waitress that glared daggers at the brunette (still hating her because of the insipid potion Tinkerbell had snuck everyone) but reluctantly came over to her table anyway because the Savior was sitting with her.

"May I help you?" The redhead asked snarkily.

Regina ignored the tone and spoke to her as regally as possible. "As a matter of fact, you can." She began without even looking at the young woman. "I would like to order a bottle of your Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet."

The waitress looked at her incredulously. "You can't afford that!" She exclaimed a bit louder than expected, causing Regina to flinch. "Not unless you're planning on making the _Savior_ pay for the meal. That bottle is $923!"

Regina rolled her eyes and bit back her snarky remarks. She didn't want Emma to see that side of her, not tonight. She was trying to show her that she was a better person, and this cursed waitress was not going to ruin that. "Yes, dear. I saw the price on the menu, and I have absolutely no problem affording that. I have received all the money that was owed to me, and I am very capable of buying this, and a few more if I wanted to. So may I please have my Chardonnay?"

The redhead seemed immensely irritated but nodded indignantly. "Go on." She ordered curtly.

Regina sighed. "I would also like a plate of your lasagna, but with some red pepper flakes, if you wouldn't mind?"

The waitress jotted Regina's order down on her notepad while she murmured "picky and bitchy" under her breath knowing that Regina could hear it (even though the brunette bit her tongue and refused to lash out) and then looked to Emma. "And for you, Sheriff?" She asked sweetly.

Emma looked at Regina apologetic, receiving a dismissive wave, and a shrug of a shoulder, indicating that Regina wasn't holding anything against the blonde. The sheriff then proceeded to order. "I would like you to get a change of attitude towards my date, for starters." She said calmly, startling the redhead.

"I-" The redhead began but was quickly cut off by Emma's hand being shot up in a "Shut up, I'm not done" motion.

"I also would like an order of spaghetti, with extra meatballs, and parmesan cheese." She finished

The redhead hurriedly wrote down Emma's order and ran to the kitchen.

Regina was dumbfounded that the blonde had stood up for her so aggressively, but was admittedly touched, and quite frankly a bit aroused by the entire interaction.

"Well, well, Miss Swan, you seem to still have that incredibly sexy fire to you!" Regina said with a flirtatious tone.

Emma smirked. "I do when people are unreasonably bitchy. You should know from experience."

Regina had to admit, Emma's words stung, but they were true, and weren't at all meant to be hurtful, so she bit down the pain and smiled, because after all… It was quite funny. "Oh, yes. I most certainly do. I missed seeing it though, admittedly."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be seeing it quite a lot more now that we're back to a good place," Emma said honestly.

Regina smiled. 'A good place.' Something she'd only ever dreamed of being with Emma in the past nine years. It felt so good to know that Emma was happy to be with her now. "Well, I'm very delighted to hear it." She said sincerely.

The rest of the dinner went well. They laughed, shared memories, and some very expensive Chardonnay. They ate, made fun of the bitchy waitress, and had a sincere talk. Regina knew now that tonight couldn't have been better.

Now all she had to do was finally address the town in front of Emma and make the most out of the opportunity.

**XXX**

As Regina drove them through town, she turned down the Main street instead of heading towards Smith Avenue, which apparently made the blonde a tiny bit nervous.

"Regina?" Emma asked cautiously. "You missed the turn."

Regina shook her head. "No, I have one thing left to do. I know I have no right to ask you to, but… Can you please trust me? Just this once?"

Emma nodded. "Okay."

Regina smiled and felt her heart swell with happiness. Emma chose to trust her. That was more than she ever dared to dream of.

Once they were parked in front of the Library, Regina got out of the car and turned to Emma.

"I've been planning this for months. I hope that this shows how deeply and sincerely I regret my past decisions and proves how irrevocably in love with you I am. Please wait here."

Before Emma could protest, Regina had turned and begun running to the clock tower.

When she reached the door to the rooftop, she inhaled a deep breath, and released it to calm herself, before she slammed the door open, and walked to the edge. People were already gathering before the library, curiously watching to see what the former mayor was going to do.

She waited patiently while she watched the crowd grow larger. She saw that Emma looked worried that Regina was about to jump, but the brunette smiled a comforting smile and Emma seemed to relax. When Regina noticed that the entire town was finally in front of the Library, she began to speak loud and clear so that the whole village could hear her.

"I know that you all hate me for what I've done, and I hate myself for what I've done as well. SO I am here today to apologize to all of you for ruining your lives, but I'm mainly here to apologize to the one and only Emma Swan." Regina then focused her gaze on Emma as she pulled out a piece of paper from her coat pocket. "This letter is the only one that I didn't leave in the box I gave you. I felt like I needed to read this one to you myself." The former mayor then cleared her throat and began to read the letter to the blonde.

"I hate myself for hurting you

The pain and heartache I put you through

I killed the love that we once had

I took everything good and turned it bad

I hate myself for hurting you

Your pain I wish I could undo

You deserve to scream and shout

I chewed you up and spat you out

I hate myself for hurting you

And killing the love that we once knew

I'm sorry for not giving you the best of me

I'm sorry things aren't how they used to be

I hate myself for hurting you

The pain and heartache I put you through

I know that I made you scream and cry

These things I simply can't deny

I hate myself for hurting you

Your pain I wish I could undo

I didn't mean to treat you like dirt

I can't imagine how much it must hurt

I deserve your anger and your hate

Still every day I hope it's not too late

To mend the bond we swore to keep

Many years ago when our love was deep

Though you may never believe my words to be true

I never lost my love for you

I realize it's not only your heart I must help mend

And that I must regain your trust as a lover and a friend

I will strive to prove every day of my life

That I will never give up trying to deserve you as my wife

I hate myself for hurting you

And killing the love that we once knew

I know there is nothing I can say or do

But I'm so so sorry for hurting you."

Once she finished reading the poem, she looked directly at Emma and read the rest of the letter.

"Emma, I know that I did something so incredibly selfish, and cowardly that it may be unforgivable. I know that if I were in your shoes, I would be just as scared, and hurt as you are... Maybe even more so, but I need you to know that I love you with all of my heart, mind, body, and soul. You complete me. You make my life worth living. To have known you and to have loved you has been the most beautiful, and humble honor of my entire life. I can only hope that I one day, get the chance to earn back your love. I don't expect it; I don't demand it. I hope for it. I love you, I always have, and I always will. I hope someday you can trust me as a confidante, and maybe if I am incredibly lucky, to have your love once more. I am so sorry for hurting you and making you feel so terrible. I swear that I want to be nothing but the feel-good factor in your life. I love you, and I will never stop. No matter what.

I love you always,

Regina"

Regina folded up the letter, put it back in her pocket and addressed the crowd once more. "People of storybrooke, I know you all look up to Emma Swan as your Savior, respect her as your sheriff, and love her as your friend. Which is why I understand the reasons that you all are furious with me. Not only did take you away from your world, and ruin her childhood, but I then destroyed her heart once more. I need you to know that I will always regret my affair. I will always regret losing Emma and breaking not only her heart but my son's as well. I am so very, deeply sorry to her, Henry, and to all of you. I hope one day you all will be able to find it in your hearts to forgive me. I swear on my life I will never hurt any of you again. Especially not our Savior or our son."

With that, Regina finished her speech to the crowd and heard murmurs below. Some were agreeing to forgive her, others accusing her of trying to manipulate the crowd with a 'falsely sincere' speech. She didn't expect it to make much of a difference because of the curse, but it did make a much larger one than she had expected and she was inordinately grateful that it did. She just hoped that it might lead to Emma forgiving her on some level for the malicious betrayal all those years ago.

As she turned to the door that would take her down to the lower level, she heard something from behind her and turned to see a white cloud dissipate around the beautiful blonde sheriff that owned her heart. Her heart stopped the instant she saw the blonde's warm, and loving eyes. "Emma" She whispered shakily with hop.

"Regina," Emma whispered hoarsely.

They stood there on the rooftop in front of the entire town, just staring at each other for several minutes before Emma finally spoke once more. "You wrote me a poem."

Regina nodded and swallowed thickly. "I did."

"You read it in front of the entire town."

Regina swallowed once more. "I did."

"You're in love with me."

"I am," Regina said hoarsely.

"You're loved back just as strongly."

Regina's heart furiously pounded in her chest with hope. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I am?" was all she managed to get out.

Emma nodded with a smile as tears fell down her cheeks. She started to close the distance between them. "You are." She muttered as she closed the distance, and kissed Regina with a fiery passion.

Regina immediately kissed back. Feeling like she had just won the ultimate win. She wrapped her arms around Emma's thin frame and licked Emma's bottom lip, pleading desperately for entrance. When Emma granted it to her, she joyfully explored every inch of the familiar mouth, that she had missed exceptionally.

The next thing Regina knew she was s in her bed, with Emma on top of her. They immediately began stripping each other. When they were naked, lying in front of each other, Regina took in the sight before her. The sight she had dreamed about each night for the past nine years. The sight she so desperately craved for entirely too long, and never thought she'd be allowed to ever bear witness to again. She felt honored to be gifted with the opportunity to make love with Emma again and was determined to make this the best sexual experience of the blonde's life.

Emma gently leaned in and kissed Regina's warms lips. They pulled apart and took shaky, shallow breaths. Unable to contain themselves anymore, Emma held Regina's head in her hands and pulled her into another fiery and passionate kiss. Her hands worked their way around the queen's body, feeling each crevasse, and each line along her perfect physique.

Regina laid on her back as her ex-wife matched her body's form. Emma's hands ventured over her curved body, exploring. Everywhere that Emma touched her, Regina felt tingles of pleasure and love. They pulled apart once more and opened their eyes. They stared at each other, deep into the other's eyes. Emma's were full of wonder and love, Regina's were full of curiosity and passion. No words were spoken, but a story worthy of them was communicated.

Emma leaned in and softly kissed up and down Regina's neck. Regina let out little whimpers of anticipation and pure happiness. Emma worked her way back to Regina's tender, plump lips. As the kisses she continued, Regina rolled the blonde over and laid on top of her strong, muscular bare skin touching together for the first time in over nine years. She ran her lips up Emma's neck and landed a loving and intense kiss on the swollen, pale lips of her blonde lover. " I love you, Emma. Please let me make you feel good." Regina pleaded.

Emma nodded, and muttered breathlessly. "Please"

Regina felt herself become even wetter than she had previously been and began kissing her way down Emma's neck and chest, stopping to give each perky breast some much-needed love. She sucked her right nipple into her mouth, and gently caressed it with her tongue, earning loud and deep moans from Emma. She then gave the same treatment to the other nipple, before kissing and licking the rest of the way down to Emma's core.

She laid between the strong, pale legs and swiped her tongue between Emma's wet folds for the first time in much too long. She immediately felt intoxicated by the familiar and delightful taste of Emma Swan's desire. She licked up and down the entirety of Emma's core a few more times, before focusing her tongue's attention to Emma's swollen nub of nerves.

Emma let out loud moans of pleasure, which caused Regina to become wetter and wetter by the second. The blonde began to squirm and moan louder. Regina knew from experience that this meant Emma was getting close, so she plunged three fingers into Emma's tight slit, and began to plunge deep into the heart of Emma's core, while she continued working Emma's throbbing clit with her tongue. Only thirty seconds later Emma came. She came hard, thrashing, and shaking while she screamed Regina's name at the top of her lungs.

Once Regina was sure that Emma had ridden out the last of her orgasm, she sat up, wiped her mouth off, and climbed up the bed to lay next to Emma.

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina and smiled. "I love you, Regina."

Regina smiled brightly; her heart swelled with glee. "I love you too, Emma Swan."

Emma looked at the brunette with stern eyes, causing Regina to begin to internally panic until she heard the blonde's next words. "You're mine now, Regina. Only mine."

Regina felt drunk with happiness as she nodded. "I swear on everything I am all yours. Completely, totally, and only yours. Just like you are mine…" She hesitated for a second before she asked. "Right?"

Emma looked down to the woman lying in her arms as she nodded. "Yes, Regina. I am yours as well."

And just like that, their relationship was renewed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you're enjoying so far! ❤️


	11. Chapter 11

Regina laid in bed that night in Emma's strong, thin arms and smiled. She had wanted this for so long, and now it was finally hers. Nothing could bring her down now… Except… Maybe, herself? At that very instant, negative thoughts clouded her mind. What if this was a dream, and when she woke up none of this truly happened. Or _worse_ , what if Emma wakes up in the morning and regrets what happened, or thinks it was a terrible mistake? Or what if _**THE WORST**_ happened? What if the Blonde wakes up and is repulsed by what they had done tonight, and refuses to ever speak to the brunette woman again?

Regina had to fight to steady her breathing. She was terrified. The former queen would be utterly and entirely destroyed if any one of those three things happened.

**XXX**

The next morning, Regina awoke from her light slumber and sat up to stretch. She smiled weakly and reached over to the other side of the bed to pull her blonde lover in to cuddle, but her hand instead, hit nothing but cold sheets and an empty pillow.

She felt abandoned; her heart broke as she tried, and failed to gain the strength to get out of bed. She felt her entire soul become, weak, and heavy laden. She felt the room get smaller, as her world began to spin with unnatural speed.

When the first tear fell down her cheek, she wiped it away furiously, but the floodgates were already broke open, and she cried with more violence than any gale. Not to have Emma right there with her was a torture to her soul.

Regina didn't break quietly; it was like every atom of her being screamed in unison, traumatized that she would have to find a way to exist without Emma. When the wracking sobs passed, she cried in such a desolate way that anyone who heard her was sure she had just lost everything. Which, to her, she had lost everything, times infinity.

She had gone from gregarious to barely hanging on by a thread just because of the vacancy of the other side of her bed. Emma would never realize the sovereignty she had over the former mayor.

_But maybe she just doesn't care anymore._

That thought created a shot of pain through the brunette's chest, and she cried even harder than before.

She cried like there was too much raw pain inside her to be contained. _(Which there was)_ She cried like her spirit needed to break loose from her skin, desperate to release an elemental rage on the world. _(Which it was)_

She had lost the love of her life once and for all. There was no other explanation. Emma would have never left without a goodbye if there was any other reason for her to leave.

_Emma regrets last night._

_Emma doesn't love me anymore._

_She never will again._

_Emma is gone._

So many tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down her face at the statements her mind was replaying over and over again in her head. Her chin trembled as if she was a small child. Regina breathed heavier than she ever had before. She was gasping for air that simply wasn't there. Her throat burned forming a silent scream. There was just no reason to continue. She had already lost her son, and now she finally once and for all lost the blonde woman that was her reason to breathe. To smile. To _exist_.

She laid on the bed, crying silently, her head resting on a pillow that was now sopping wet from tears but still faintly smelled of the blonde woman that she had lost forever. She stayed like that for another twenty minutes,

She began to sob uncontrollably until she heard an angel speak to her from across the room.

"Morning, Gina." The blonde goddess said with a warm smile on her face, and a breakfast container from granny's in her hands. "Sleep well?"

Regina immediately jolted from her heartbroken state and sat up faster than normal, causing her to get light headed for a second. Once temporary vertigo left her, she focused her sight on the woman of her dreams, who was staring at her with such concern that it broke her heart. Emma was worried about her, and it was all because Regina couldn't refrain from being an imbecile and jumping to conclusions.

"Emma?" She asked hesitantly, as relief poured through her soul. The happiness in her heart though was quickly replaced by guilt. She had lost faith in Emma for no reason. She should have known that Emma wouldn't have abandoned her after the night they had. It was much more than just sex, and they both knew it.

"Regina, are you okay? What happened? Did someone get in here?!" The blonde asked in a single breath as she rushed over to the brunette woman who had worked diligently to recapture her heart and finally succeeded just last night. Once she sat next to her, she placed the breakfast container on the foot of the bed and looked expectantly at the brunette.

"You weren't here." Regina murmured.

Emma sighed. "Gina, It's six in the morning, I figured you'd be asleep for at least another hour, so I went to get you some breakfast. I did leave a note for you in the kitchen just in case, though. Do you really have such little faith in me?"

The revelation that Emma had, in fact, let Regina know where she was going, along with the pain in the blonde's voice made Regina feel even guiltier than she had previously. She lowered her head, unable to look her in the eyes as she spoke. "I just thought you might have regretted last night."

Emma's arm that had found its way around Regina's side was now pulling back, which made Regina's heart she already screwed everything up? Was this the end? She refused to jump to conclusions this time, however, and she steeled her face into an expression of guilt because that was what she felt and she could do nothing to reprieve it into anything else.

"That is partly accurate," Emma said, which caused Regina's unworried facade to fail and she began to break down until Emma started talking once more. "But I don't regret telling you that we are together again, we just shouldn't have had sex. We need to take things slow. I do love you, Gina. I love you very much, and I do want to make us work, but we can't go rushing it and ruining everything. We will get there, just over time. Right now, we need to eat breakfast and relax for the day. Then tomorrow we should put our primary focus on breaking the curse so that you can live a happy life here, and hopefully, I can get my parents back as well. "

Regina's heart felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted off of it and it was all she could do to keep from jumping up and dancing the Macarena until the sunset. "I love you, Emma. I love you so, so much."

Emma smiled at Regina for the second time that morning. "I love you too, Regina. Just as much, I promise."

**XXX**

That morning, the two lovebirds were nestled together on the couch watching the Harry Potter series and making fun of how wrong they've got the magic. They were laughing, kissing, and eating junk food. Just like when they were married, making Regina smile like she hadn't in years. That smile, however, was short lived because the next thing she knew her doorbell was ringing incessantly.

Her eyes widened in panic, as her heart began to race. Had the town come to disobey their Savior's direct orders finally, and kill their former queen once and for all? She was internally panicking until she felt her blonde girlfriend's arms tighten around her. She looked into the emerald eyes and the world around her faded as she heard the words the blonde was speaking. "It's okay, Gina. If they try to hurt you in any way, I'll turn them into pillars of salt."

Regina smiled dreamily and leaned in to kiss the Blonde Sheriff once more, but was rudely interrupted by another ding of the doorbell with the bonus of loud, unnecessary pounding of the door.

With a grumpy sigh, Emma got up and headed to the door, Regina following closely behind her.

  



	12. Chapter 12

As Emma went to open the door Regina made a decision. She would not be afraid any longer. She was Regina Mills, and Regina Mills did not cower in the face of a fight so, instead of standing behind Emma like the blonde instructed, she stood by her girlfriend's side with her head held high as she waited for the trespasser to state their cause for being there. This was her fight, not Emma's.

As the door opened she wasn't surprised by what she saw; almost the entire town was on her lawn, (The Gold's were nowhere to be found) lead by the Charmings. She tensed, but when she felt Emma's hand grab her own, she relaxed.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked curtly.

"Emma! Oh, darling. We're so sorry! We have no idea what we were thinking! We are very angry with Regina, but we would never have done the things we have. I am so so sorry sweetie, we should have never tried to force you into a loveless marriage." Snow White said earnestly. The pixie cut mayor then turned her attention to Regina. "I don't particularly want my daughter to be with you after you hurt her so badly, but that isn't my choice, and if you are lucky enough to earn back my daughter's heart we will support her decision. I also am sorry for all the terrible things I allowed to occur to you. I have absolutely no recollection of reasoning that through in my head. None of us really understand our reasoning behind it I-"

"I DO! YOU HURT MY FAVORITE GIRL!" Screamed Granny. "These Bozos may feel bad for you but I still can't stand ya!"

Everyone chuckled. Regina didn't expect remorse from the older woman, she was a firm believer in loyalty, and it would take her longer to put her callous demeanor to rest, but she would get there eventually.

Regina couldn't understand how the curse broke though. When she and Emma had kissed, there was no burst of light indicating that True Love's kiss had broken the curse. So what happened? Had they been so entranced in the kiss that they hadn't noticed?

Before she could speak, Emma had already begun. "Mom? Dad?" The Sheriff asked with a shaky voice as she lunged into her parents' open arms. It made Regina's chest tighten. Emma had indeed missed her parents' love and support. What if now, after all this, her parents' genuine disapproval of them being together would be enough for Emma to walk away from her once and for all?

The next thing she knew her hand was being grabbed by the blonde, and their fingers were being intertwined as the blonde released the embrace that she had on her mother and father and looked at Regina with adoration on her face. "Regina and I have been back together since last night." Emma declared.

Regina smiled widely. Her insecurities eased the tiniest bit, but she was still extremely worried about the weeks to come. She looked back at Emma as she continued to speak to her friends and family. She couldn't help but stare at the woman who was so casually conversing with her loved ones while still holding the hand of the woman who had caused all of this. The blonde was fantastic, and Regina felt entirely grateful to be holding the woman's hand. She fell more and more in love with the Savior every day.

Snow White grimaced for a split second before looking at her daughter with love in her eyes. "You are much stronger than I am, honey. If your father ever did that, he'd disappear." Snow joked, but with no bite at all to her words.

Emma nodded. "I did leave for over eight years, Mom."

Snow smiled again. "That you did, and I'm proud of you for doing something for yourself.I am also proud of you for being so compassionate that you were eventually able to forgive someone who destroyed you. It just shows us all even more how amazing you are, and your father and I couldn't be prouder of you if we tried."

Regina held her breath, Emma hadn't quite said that she forgave Regina for cheating on her, and she needed to know now more than ever that she was forgiven by the blonde before she could feel that their relationship was even remotely secure .

When Emma looked at her mother with a weak smile, Regina's heart fell to the floor. She actually hadn't forgiven Regina completely.

After a second of panic, Regina steeled herself. If Emma was willing to give her a chance to earn the rest of her forgiveness by being in a relationship, then that is exactly what she would do. She would be the best damn girlfriend in the universe. She couldn't afford to screw this up once more.

As the day continued everyone came up one by one to apologize profusely, some Emma alone, but mostly to them both. When finally it was Granny's turn. She was the last to approach them, and Regina felt herself sweating from anxiousness. Sh wa's not scared of the woman per-se. She was, however, terrified about her compelling ability to influence Emma and everyone else's opinions and actions. So, naturally she's scared the older Lucas will talk Emma out of their newly re-instated relationship.

When Granny finally made it to the porch, she stared at the blonde and smiled sweetly, "May I have a word alone with Regina, please?"

Emma, being the insanely oblivious and trusting woman that she was smiled and nodded her head before letting go of Regina's hand, and joining her parents on the lawn.

Regina sighed. That's what she got for falling in love with the purest woman in all of existence. The former mayor braced herself for what she was 99.9% sure was going to be one of the most uncomfortable conversations she would ever have.

"You were a buffoon to let that girl go, you know?" Came from the older woman in a disappointed tone, which startled the brunette. She hadn't expected that in the least.

"I know. Believe me, I know." Regina admitted in a shaky voice as she watched the sheriff play with her Twelve-year-old little brother. She smiled a small smile that was soon swept off of her face by another large pang of guilt surging through her chest. She had almost destroyed that woman. She had betrayed her. She will never understand how she could have done something so idiotic.

She returned her gaze to the older woman who was staring at her with extreme uncertainty before she spoke again. "It's the biggest regret of my life. I can't call it a mistake, because I did it consciously, and I did it multiple times, but I can call it the stupidest fucking decision I've ever made. I know I don't deserve that goddess of a woman, but if she wants me she can have every single piece of me. Whether she knows it or not I am already hers. She owns me whether I've admitted it to her or not. She always has. Whether I like to admit it or not, the first time she showed up on my lawn with Henry in tow, and I looked into her eyes, I was instantly her bitch. I tried to fight it for a while, but it was short lived. I am Emma Swan's no matter how hard I try to deny it, or fuck it up. Every single piece of me is hers, and I can not be happy without her. I know you don't trust me to be with her, I know she's like your granddaughter, and I know the rest of the town has doubts that I am actually going to commit myself to her again, and for good this time, but I want to prove you all wrong. I will prove you all wrong. As long as Emma will have me, I will be her dutiful girlfriend, fiancée, wife, or whatever else she wants me to be. She hasn't fully forgiven me yet, and I understand that, but I intend to do whatever I can to finally earn a permanent status with her. I need her, and there is no way in hell I am going to repeat my past actions. I will be the person that Emma deserves." She looked Granny in the eyes, but the older woman was staring behind Regina with an amused expression on her face. The brunette soon after felt a tap on her shoulder.

Her eyes widened as she gulped.

Please don't be Emma.

Please don't be Emma.

PLEASE don't be Emma.

She thought as she turned around. She heard a chuckle from Granny right before she heard her say "Hopefully this helps lead to a conversation that fixes any little doubts you girls had about the other. When you are finished stop by the diner and I'll have a fresh Apple Pie ready for you both to scarf down. You can thank me later. Take care girls." And with that, the elderly lady walked away.

She tried and failed to swallow the lump in her throat as she struggled to find her words. She needed Emma to just forget everything that was said in the conversation between Granny and the former mayor. If she heard everything that Regina had just said, it could possibly scare her away. "I-" She trailed off, and looked everywhere but the blonde.

"You're my bitch, huh?" Emma chuckled.

Regina scoffed. "You're such a child sometimes, you do realize that, don't you?" She tried to be as regal as possible, but her facade was much too cracked to sound convincing, and instead she sounded playful. Which was not really what she was at that moment. She was actually beyond nervous.

"Yes, but you love me anyway," Emma said with a playful smirk on her face.

A smile formed on Regina's face at the statement from the blonde. At least she knows I love her. She thought. She took that as a good sign and looked back up to the blonde woman that owned her heart. "I do love you. Very much in fact."

Emma stretched out her arm to offer her hand to Regina. "Come with me." She said as she gestured to the back yard with a nudge of her head.

Regina nervously took the offered hand and followed Emma to the garden area where they both sat across from each other on the patio furniture. This is it. She thought. I scared her away once and for all. This is where she leaves me.

"We definitely need to talk, Gina," Emma said softly.

Regina nodded slowly, avoiding eye contact at all costs. Maybe if she avoided eye contact, it wouldn't be real, and her heart wouldn't be shattered within this next conversation. "I suppose we do." Regina agreed dejectedly as she still avoided eye contact at all cost.

Emma furrowed her brow. "So everything that you said was quite… passionate, to say the least."

Regina fought back her tears as she nodded. "Anything that has to do with you makes me passionate." She said with a broken voice. She paused to clear her throat and then continued. "I just want to be worthy of you again, and I want to be who you want. I just want to go back in time and stop myself from being so stupid. I know I'm a whore. I know you don't forgive me. I just want to be the person you deserve so we can be happy again."

Emma stood up and rounded the table with fiery eyes. This was it. This was the moment Emma would cut all ties with her and never look back. Regina held her breath waiting for the fatally painful blow, but it never came. Instead "Regina, no." was whispered from the blonde's mouth tenderly, and then Regina's cheeks were grabbed gently by two strong hands, as her lips were kissed passionately by the only person who could make or break the former Evil Queen.

When their lips pressed together, Regina let out a surprised gasp, but quickly began kissing the Sheriff back just as fervently. She felt herself get lost in all that was Emma Swan. Her hands tangled in long blonde locks. She licked the blonde's lips, begging the blonde for entrance into the mouth that she loved so dearly. She figured that if this was the last time she could ever have Emma like this, she would at least make it count. To Regina's dismay, she was denied access into the blonde's hot mouth, and was disheartened by the blonde ending the kiss.

When Emma pulled away they were both breathing heavily trying to regain a normal breathing pattern before they continued on with their conversation. When they finally did catch their breath Regina waited impatiently, while her heart was trying to pump out of her chest.

"That was an amazing kiss," Regina said nervously in an attempt to break the long and nerve-wracking silence.

Emma smiled. "Every kiss is an amazing kiss when it's with you, Regina."

Regina laughed a sad laugh. "Just not amazing enough to make you stay."

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked incredulously.

Regina frowned. "I know what that was, Emma." She says exasperatedly. "Please just say it, so I quit hoping it was more."

Emma looked at her ex-wife with so much confusion that it almost convinced the brunette that the kiss wasn't actually a final goodbye, but she refused to set herself up for more anguish and heartache.

"What exactly do you think that was?" Emma asked barely above a whisper.

"Please, Emma… Don't toy with me." Regina pleaded.

"I'm not toying with you, Regina. I would never do such a thing. Just the fact that you think I would do something like that to you shows how little you think of me." Emma said. She was getting upset at that point and Regina couldn't bear the thought of her being the cause of Emma's sadness once more, so she did the only thing she could do, apologize and do what she was asked.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I know that you would never hurt me like that on purpose." Regina sighed as she raised her hand to run it through her own raven locks with frustration at herself. "I know that the kiss was a… goodbye of sorts." The brunette said through a cracked voice. "I know that.. Because of everything, you don't want to be with me anymore, and I can't really blame you, but I can't handle this false hope."

Emma glared at the brunette now. A deep, dark, terrifying glare that put all of Regina's Regal scowls to shame. "What the actual fuck are you talking about, Regina? You never even gave us a chance to talk. You just immediately assumed that I'm leaving you because... what? My 'duty' as savior was done? If that were the case, I wouldn't have told my parents that we were back together, I wouldn't have held your hand and made sure no one attacked you during their apologies after I told them all that their reactions were because of some stupid fairy-curse. I wouldn't have told you last night that we were together again, and I wouldn't have let you make love to me. Furthermore, I do forgive you for your betrayal. If we hadn't been interrupted by the entire town telling you that they did as well, we would have talked and I would have said that right after the movie was over. I love you, Regina. I'm not going anywhere. I want this." She stopped and pulled Regina in close looking her in the eyes as tears filled the brown orbs. "I want you." She emphasised.

Regina felt like she was floating on air. She almost couldn't get herself to believe that Emma truly meant the words that she had just spoke, but the look in the emerald eyes, and the intensity of her tone made the brunette woman believe every single word.

XXX

After everything had been said and done, they had agreed to forgive Snow, David, and the rest of the town for their actions. After all, it wasn't actually them. Now the two women were in the living room finishing the movie they had been watching that morning before they were interrupted.

As they watched Snape reluctantly kill Dumbledore, Regina couldn't take it anymore. She NEEDED to talk to Emma, and know exactly what was going to happen between them. So, she grabbed the remote and paused the movie.

"Hey! I was watching that!" Emma pouted.

"Oh, come on, dear we both know you hate this scene." Regina laughed.

Emma playfully glared at her. "His death, Dobby's death, and Snape's death are the saddest ever! They all just loved Harry so much!"

Regina wanted to roll her eyes, but she felt the exact same way. "I agree, but also Lupin's death." She concurred.

"Well, yeah I suppose," Emma said seemingly lost in thought. She quickly snapped out of her Potter-Induced state and looked at the brunette quizzically. "Why did you stop the movie, though? You could've just fast-forwarded."

Sighing, Regina finally spoke on how she felt. "I'm scared, and a little confused."

"What? The movie isn't even close to scary, and we've watched these movies many times with Henry, so I don't get how you could possibly be confused."

Regina did roll her eyes that time. "Not about the movies, Emma. About, us."

Emma perked up at the last word. "What? Are you… Are you having second thoughts? Because, I swear to god if you did all of this just to-"

"NO!" Regina practically screamed. She could not have Emma, for even the slightest second, believing that Regina wasn't 100% committed to their relationship. "God, no! I just, want to know where we go from here now that I don't have to have protection 24/7."

Emma nodded. "Right. I guess that does need to be discussed sooner or later."

Regina smiled a weak smile. "I would prefer it to be sooner, Dear."

"Okay, then let's talk," Emma said chirpily.

"Where will you be staying?" Regina asked nervously. "I mean, I would love for you to move back in now, but I understand you want to take things slow."

"I'll probably stay at the loft," Emma said.

Saddened by the answer, Regina nodded slowly. "That's reasonable."

Emma frowned at the sadness she saw overcoming her ex-wife, and she grabbed her hands. "Regina, we can't rush this. This is too important to ruin because of impatience."

Regina nodded again. "I know, I just wish we were already there, you know? Where we could be together all the time, waking up and falling asleep next to each other. I just miss everything about being married to you."

Emma pulled Regina flush against her body. "We're starting fresh, Regina. This time there will be no screwing this up, and it's going to last. That's why we have to take it slowly. We have to date for a few years, just like before."

Regina smiled. "As long as I get to say we are together, then that's good enough for me."

"Glad to hear it, because we are most definitely together," Emma said with a smile cutting her face in half.

"How do you think Henry is going to react?" Regina chuckled.

Emma's smiled disappeared at the mention of their son. "Right now, I think it's best that we don't tell him. Not until we are 100% confident that we are going to last. I don't want to tell him, then in six months break up because we just didn't work out and have him take it out on you again."

Regina frowned deeper than before. Emma wasn't sure that they would last. She wanted them to, but she didn't know if they would. She took a deep breath. "Maybe we should wait until.. We get engaged… I mean… that is.. If you ever see us getting married again?"

Emma looked at Regina wide-eyed. "How about we focus on the present and worry less about the future, and we cross that bridge when we come to it?"

Regina sighed. She shouldn't have pressed Emma on that subject so soon. "That sounds very doable." She said with a polite smile.

"Regina.. We're still going to be together, we'll have dates, and cuddles, and plenty of kisses. We'll end up sleeping over at each other's places, and we will still love each other just as much. We will be a real couple. Okay?"

Regina felt all her insecurities wash away as she saw the sincerity in the blonde's facial expression. She smiled widely. "Okay."

XXX

It had been 18 months. 18 months of dating. 18 months of living separately. 18 months of not telling their son about their relationship. 18 months of loving touches, late night cuddles, and passionate kisses. 18 months of fighting her arousal when she saw Emma in tight clothes. 18 months of controlling herself when they were alone and making out. 18 months of proving to her ex in-laws that she actually had committed herself fully to their daughter. 18 months of whispers, polite smiles, and awkward stares as they walked down the street hand in hand. 18 months of rediscovering their love. 18 months of pure bliss. 18 months of being blessed with Emma Swan.

It had been 18 months, and Regina had finally grown a pair and bought a ring. She was petrified about Emma's answer, but she wanted to finally move things further. She needed to make Emma hers permanently. She needed to know that Emma wasn't going to leave her.

So, she lit the sidewalk leading up to her house with lanterns with little swans on top of them. She decorated the doorway with pink heart-shaped lights, and made a pathway through the house to the back yard with white rose petals. White roses stand for new beginnings, and that is exactly what she wanted with Emma.

In the backyard, there was a Garden Arch covered with red roses. Red roses mean "I Love You" and because she loved Emma, she needed those to be in the proposal as well. Along with the red roses, there were white string-lights waved through the arch as well. Underneath the arch kneeled the most nervous woman alive: Regina Mills.

She stayed kneeling, waiting for Emma to come from her town meeting for 'movie night.' She had been kneeling for about thirty-five minutes, but she'd kneel for an eternity as long as she eventually got to propose to Emma for the second time.

Once she finally heard the sound of Emma's Slug Bug pull into the driveway Regina's heart began to pound 10 times the average speed. Her hands started to sweat, but she couldn't back out now. She needed this. She needed to know that Emma would be hers forever, and she needed Emma to know that she wanted her forever.

She heard Emma's footsteps, and her voice call out. "What's the special occasion, sweetheart?"

Just before she saw Emma appear from the back door. There was awe written all over her face as she walked the rest of the way to the Arch. "Regina?"

Regina could see the confusion on the blonde's face, so she grabbed Emma's hand with her hand that was not holding the open ring box, looked into those gorgeous jade eyes that she could drown in, and spoke before she lost her nerve. "Emma, darling, I love you like you're the last of my kind. It is like you talk the same language as me, yet no other is able to do so. To be around you is like finally not being alone - as if all my life I've been isolated, in a windowless, and doorless room... and then suddenly you walk in as if strolling over a summer meadow. How is that you are so much more than sunshine? How is it you breathe life when no other can? Why is it you are my medicine? Who could love me more than you? So, my love, know this - while I breathe I am yours in mind, body and soul.

You personify love even in times of trouble, of hardship or war. You are truly one of the mighty. I see how no matter the stresses laid upon you, that you show more grace than many do in times of plenty. It is in those moments of pain and fear I see right to your soul and know that my faith in you, and my love for you, will forever stay in tact, nothing could falter them. You, my love, are brave, kind, always giving of yourself. I want you to know that I will be the same for you; I will be your mirror, bring you what you give others - true love, the lasting kind. I will love you like the sky loves the birds, with open hands, and infinite freedom.

I love you. That means I would defend you with my life even if the odds were insurmountable. It means I will comfort you in the challenging and painful times. It means I will dance and rejoice with you when times are good. It means I will never betray you,and never give up on you. It means finding my fire when you, my love, are threatened, yet never waging war - only doing what is necessary for a noble defense. Love says I forgive you when you err. Love says though life may test me, I am yours into eternity and I will never abandon you. It means I will never put you in danger no matter how noble the "cause" may be. Love means protecting the earth, protecting humanity, being kind to animals, but should anyone demand your life to save their own I will tell them to rot in hell. There can never be a higher calling to me than protecting, and loving you. Because I love you, and love is not a concept for sheep, sheep run at the first sign of fear; it is a concept for lions, because lions never back down in the face of strife. They face it head on and fight to the death. Which is what I am willing to do for you for the rest of eternity.

There is no perfect lover, we are all flawed, but knowing those flaws and still loving with all your heart creates perfect love. I will never look further than you, my love. If my heart is a flower waiting to bloom, your love is the only sunshine it needs. So will you be my sunshine for the rest of eternity, and marry me? Forever this time?"

Emma smiled widely as tears flooded her eyes. "Yes, Regina. God, Yes!"

When Regina heard the answer, all she could feel was happy. As happy as a baboon in a banana tree. As happy as a clam at high tide. As happy as a hippo in mud. As happy as a shark in a shoal of sea bream. As happy as a kitty in a cream pie. As happy as a dog at a dinosaur dig. She was just… happy.

Emma pulled Regina up with her hand, allowed Regina to put the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand, and pulled her into a kiss. "I love you, my gorgeous fiancee" Emma giggled.

Regina returned the chuckle. "I love you too my beautiful bride."


	13. Chapter 13

It had been just a little over a week since the engagement and Henry, and his grandparents were supposed to be at the house any minute for a 'family night,' but during dinner, the two women were going to announce their engagement.

Regina had to admit, that telling Emma's parents wasn't what scared her the most, she knew they'd be able to put a bit of doubt into their daughter's head, but they wouldn't be able to completely sway her away from Regina… But Henry could. Henry would be the one thing that could make or break this engagement, and knowing that Henry still harbored some resentment towards his adoptive mother for hurting he and his birth mother, terrified the brunette. If he really wanted to stop it, there was no doubt in Regina's mind that he could.

Even with her anxiety at it's maximum, Regina continued to cook diligently in the kitchen, preparing the food for the dinner that will be starting within the next half hour. Emma would be there any minute, followed by her parents, and their son. As she was about to take the quiche out of the oven when the doorbell rang. She hurriedly grabbed the quiche, rubbed her hands down her dress to straighten it, and ran to open the door. She politely smiled at the couple she hoped would soon be her parents-in-law once again, trying to cover up the panic she felt at being alone with them. "Snow," She nodded politely, "David," She said as she nodded once more "Neal!" She smiled before gesturing them into her entrance way.

"Hello, Regina." Snow said with her false cheerfulness as she held up a bottle in a bag. "We brought champagne!"

Regina smiled kindly at the pixie-haired mayor as she took the bottle from her. "Thank you, dear. May I get your jackets?"

"No thank you, Regina. I'd like to be able to wear them again without worrying about being cursed." David jabbed.

Snow looked at the former mayor with a mortified and slightly apologetic expression before she turned to glare at her husband. "DAVID!" She chastised before going into what seemed to be a failed attempt at a whisper. "We are doing this for _Emma_! We made Regina’s life hell for almost nine years; we can at least give her the benefit of the doubt now."

David sighed and nodded his head in resignation. "Fine." He said petulantly while he shrugged off his jacket and handing it to his ex-daughter-in-law.

Regina thanked them and took their coats to the closet at the end of the hall. When she headed back to the living room, she paused as she heard murmurs of a conversation between the Charmings.

"You don't think that she'll hurt her again do you?" Snow asked in a concerned tone.

David sighed. "I don't know… I mean, probably It's Regina… Everytime we've trusted her she's let us down. I'm not going to put it passed her. She's done it once before, even when she knew it would hurt not only Emma but Henry as well. She's selfish, Snow. She always has been, she does look like she's trying to change, but in the middle of a crisis."

Regina felt broken. The Saintly Charmings didn't hate her; they just were tired of being burned every time they gave her another chance and had genuine fears. She at this point, was ready to make another overdue speech. This time to the actual parents of the one she adored more than anything. She walked out of hiding and into the view of the two people she's hurt almost as much as Emma.

"Snow, David, Little Neal,

I know that I am someone that you've given an abundant amount of chances. Chances that I took for granted, and threw away, and made you regret. But I will NEVER do that again. Not with this opportunity, because this chance has only been given to me because of Emma.

Emma, whom I was forced to live without for the better part of a decade. Emma whom I love with every fiber of my being. Emma who is the goddess of my world and exist for.

She never leaves my mind; she's always there; mentally if not physically. It's just incomprehensible. She's my one stable force, my one stability in a world that hates me, and I so desperately need that in my life. I love her so much for that. I'm in love with her, and I can't believe I was stupid enough to almost lose her for good.

This love that I have for her is so dynamic; it stretches throughout my whole body. It's overwhelming, yet makes me feel complete. It has no bound nor length nor depth; it's just absolute. It feels as though I'm in a dangerous fire, yet I'm completely safe at the same time. It feels as though someone's given me peace. It feels as though my heart is dancing around my chest; and a hole, that I thought could only be filled by Daniel, has been filled. I feel so light like I'm on top of the world yet my heart is constricting, and it feels as if there's no oxygen in my lungs.

It's strange – frightening even – how you can go from someone being a complete stranger to then being completely infatuated with them and wondering how it ever was that you were able to live without them because you sure as hell couldn't imagine being without them now. I know that I don't deserve her, and most people would consider me to be foolish and naïve, but it's true when I say that I love her more than I could ever love myself. She's my best friend and, as cheesy as it sounds, she's my anchor. My one stability in this world filled with chaos.

When I think about what I've done to her the guilt is ice in my guts. It could be a hundred degrees out, and I'd still be frozen on the inside. I can't melt it on my own; I can't shift it at all. I need her to bring me warmth, to show me that I can be better. I wanted to be perfect so much, and it kills me that I wasn't. I wanted to find true love from my earliest memories, and when I found it, I still strayed. After all this time the regret and guilt still cut just as deep, but its visits are less frequent. I remind myself that while I cannot undo my misdeeds, I dedicate my life to walking in the light. I tell myself that even though I can never forgive myself, that Emma has given me a second chance. So though it's hard to move past my mistakes, I own them, hold them as my own, and accept that she still loves me regardless. I only hope that by the time I'm done, I can feel like I earned it.

I know that I will never fully have your faith, I understand that and realize wholeheartedly that I do not deserve your faith at all. I don't deserve Emma's second chance, nor Henry's. But I do hope, that along with theirs I earn one last chance from the two of you as well. If I don't Emma and I will never be entirely happy, and I fear that without your support, someday she will leave me for good, and I will never be able to live without her." She finished, and the Grown charmings looked at her with amazement while Neal just stared at her like she's from Mars.

"That was… Unexpected, to say the least." Snow began. "But, you honestly do seem to have changed, the Regina that broke my daughter's heart would've never opened herself up to us the way that you just did. We will try wholeheartedly to support you, but you must understand if things get fishy, we will most certainly not hesitate to speak up. The same way that you would if it were with Violet and Henry. Our children are our everything, and if we think you are up to something that may hurt her, we will speak up. Understood?"

Regina smiled widely and nodded. "Yes. Crystal."

The three Charmings smiled and walked into the living room as Regina headed back to the kitchen to finish preparing the dinner. When the food was just about done she felt strong, thin arms wrap around her waist from behind. Feeling the familiar touch sent a pool of arousal between her thighs. "Emma, darling your family arrived early." She informed the blonde.

"I know, why do you think I came in through the back" Emma chuckled.

"That's quite mischevious of you, darling." Regina joked.

"Oh well, sue me for wanting a few minutes alone with my fiancée, " Emma said as she spun the smaller woman around in her embrace and pulled her into a desperate kiss. When they pulled apart, Regina looked at Emma and felt, even more, love spread through her. She could never again go without the touch and affection of the beautiful blonde Savior.

"I could never live without you, Emma," Regina whispered while staring into those beautiful jade eyes.

"You'll never have to, gorgeous." Emma smiled.

"Unless I fuck it up again," Regina said, looking away from the blonde when she felt tears sting the back of her eyes.

Regina then felt the blonde's hand on her chin, pulling her face back up so that she could look into Emma's eyes.

"Gina, you won't. You've said it yourself."

Regina wiped away her tears and smiled a weak smile at the woman who was her all. "I know, I just… I'm terrified. I just need you to know that you're love is everything I need to survive, and then some."

Emma frowned. "Regina, that's not healthy. That doesn't even sound like love. That sounds like.. I don't know…" Emma trailed off, and Regina could tell what the blonde wanted to say.

"That I'm obsessed?" Regina replied with a hurt tone that she couldn't hide even though she desperately had tried to.

"Well. I mean.. Every time someone describes love it never sounds the way we describe it… it never sounds as sincere. It worries me sometimes."

Regina sighed. "What we have is so much more than love, Emma… You know it."

Emma was about to speak when the doorbell rang once more.

Henry's here. I really hope this goes well. Regina thought.

When the couple answered the door, they were shocked to see Henry standing there by himself. "Henry!" Regina chimes brightly, ignoring the interesting fact that he's here without his wife. "It's so good to see you, sweetie. I missed you."

Henry smiled at his brunette mother. "I missed you too, Mom."

Regina was stunned. Her heart seemed to soar. Henry still loves me. I'm still his mom. She couldn't hold herself back as she pulled her grown son into her arms and squeezed him tightly.

The young man chuckled. "Easy, there. I may be big, but I can still break."

Regina laughed as she pulled herself away. "Sorry." She said.

"Hey, kid," Emma said as she pulled their son in for a hug.

"Hey, Mom." He said as he returned the hug.

Regina smiled. This felt right. This was her family, and she sure hoped that the engagement wouldn't hinder anything.

XXX

As Regina began setting the table by herself (Despite the offers from her fiancée and son), she started humming to herself. Everyone seemed to be accepting of her again, and she was sure that this was going to be okay. As she placed the meal that consisted of: Island Duck with Mulberry Mustard, Potato Blini, Cheddar, Pancetta and Thyme Mini Quiches, Broiled Zucchini and Yellow Squash Gratin, and to finish it all off for dessert; Raspberry Lemonade Cheesecake Bars, or a fresh from the oven Apple Pie.

She was putting the final plate on the table when Henry came in. "Did you see mom's engagement ring?" He asked stoically.

"Pardon?" Regina squeaked.

"Yeah, she's got a ring on her finger. Did you know that she was dating anyone?" He asked, quickly thinking better of his question and waving the notion off. "Of course not, she probably didn't want to tell anyone until she was sure it was going to work out. Maybe she'll announce it tonight. Who do you think it could be?"

Regina stared at Henry for a minute, with a fish-out-of-water expression on her face. What was she supposed to say to that? Should she tell him that it was her ring on Emma's finger? Before she could do or say anything Henry's face went from curious, to concerned and he wrapped his mother into a comforting hug. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I know it hurts seeing the one you love with someone else, but if whoever it is makes Ma happy, you've got to support her. It seems like you both are friends again, so she'll be expecting it… You are the one who messed it up."

Regina inhaled a deep, shaky breath, Henry still held it against her… That was still extremely painful, but before she went too far down into the rabbit hole that she was currently falling into, he spoke again.

"Don't worry Mom; I've gotten passed it. It still sucks that you did it, but I screwed up with Violet too, and I've got to let her go instead of trying to fight for her. Even if she did take me back, I would never deserve her, so I commend you on letting Ma go and be with someone who deserves her." The young man said. "I never meant for it to happen. I never wanted to hurt her, but I was drunk beyond belief after a fight we had, and I screwed up with a woman that we went to college with. I woke up the next morning with a massive hangover, in our bed with someone other than my wife. I panicked and tried to get her to leave, but before I could, Violet was already home…"

"Oh, Henry," Regina said sympathetically. "You should never drink after an argument. It always makes things much worse than sleeping it off in bed… together. Then in the morning, you can talk it out. You also shouldn't have tried to hide it from her either, it would've eaten you alive, and when she found out the wound would've been twenty times deeper than if you were honest with her."

At that moment, Henry began to cry on his mother's shoulder for the first time in ten years.

**XXX**

Dinner was going well, the food was phenomenal, the conversation was pleasant, and having all of her family together was putting Emma in an excellent mood, which made Regina even happier than she could explain.

Emma then looked at Regina and nodded. Regina's hands began to sweat from anxiety. She picked up her unused butter-knife and tapped it against her barely-touched glass of champagne, doing so interrupted Snow's animated conversation with Henry, and Neal. "If I could have your attention for just a moment, I'd like to make an announcement." She said with her best Regal voice that she could muster up.

Everyone went quiet and all eyes focused upon the brunette.

Regina gulped and looked at her fiancé with pleading eyes. Emma smiled and nodded. "We're engaged. We're hoping to be married sometime next month."

Snow White and David smiled politely "Congratulations, darling. As long as you're happy we are as well." Snow said. Charming nodded in agreement before continuing with his food.

Neal high-fived his big sister and said: "Can I be the ring boy?" Which Emma immediately agreed to.

Henry sat silently for a few more minutes before Emma's face turned to worry. "Kid?" The blonde asked as she walked around the table and kneeled beside the young man.

"How did she win you back?" Henry asked through tears.

Emma began to panic. Was he going to make her choose!? She'd choose Regina. She had to, but she couldn't lose Henry she just couldn't. "Henry, your mother worked hard to earn back my trust, respect, and eventually my love as well. She didn't give up fighting for me, and finally, her perseverance won out. We're in love again, and I need you to be okay with that."

Henry looked up at Emma and threw his arms around his blonde mother. "Thank you, Ma. You just gave me hope, but I have to go. Congratulations to you both, I'll see you at the wedding." He rapped out as he grabbed his jacket, and ran out the door.

Emma furrowed her brows and looked at her fiancée. "What was that about?"

Regina smiled a half smile as she watched her son's car pull out of the driveway. "I'll tell you later."

**XXX**

The rest of the dinner went smoothly, Snow offering Emma help planning the wedding, and Emma accepting her mother's offer. Soon after their dessert was finished the three Charmings left, leaving the brides to be alone to clean up.

After the dishes were done, Regina poured them both a glass of champagne and handed one to Emma who was sitting on the couch.

"Care to explain why our son who seemed to be supportive of our engagement, ran out right after we announced it?" Emma asked as she put both glasses on the coffee table, wrapped Regina up in a tight embrace, and pulled her onto the couch so that they were cuddling.

Regina sighed. "Henry had a drunken one night stand and decided that once Violet kicked him out, he was no longer worthy of her and couldn't win her back. I'm guessing that seeing us get back together after I messed up MUCH worse, he figured that he still had a chance."

Emma sighed. "Right now he _isn't_ worthy of her; he has to earn his worth back. I hope he understands that. Because that's how we got back together, and he is going to have to go through everything that you did before he wins her back… besides the cursed town thing, of course."

Regina chuckled at the last statement before she nodded. "He messed up, he'll have to pay the consequences, and then maybe Violet will be able to forgive him, although it's a sporadic occurrence that someone is as forgiving as you," Regina admitted as she nuzzled her face into the crook of Emma's neck.

She felt a hand on her arm start to rub up and down, caressing her. "Are you tired?" Emma asked softly.

"Hmmm. A bit." The brunette admitted.

"Darn, I was going to see if you wanted to play," Emma said in the voice of a seductress.

Regina snapped up at that. What was Emma insinuating? They hadn't had sex since the night they first renewed their relationship, and she'd be lying if she said it didn't kill her, but she had to make sure Emma was completely 100% confident that this is what she wanted if it wasn't this could ruin everything. "R-really?"

Emma nodded. "Yes. I've been avoiding it because it hurts to think that I'm not the last one to have touched you like that, and it reminded me of the betrayal. But right now all I can focus on is you." After a few seconds, Emma sighed overdramatically. "Too bad you're tired. I guess maybe we can-"

"No!" Regina practically screamed. "I'm not too tired for that." There was no way in hell that she'd go a moment longer than she had to without making love to Emma freaking Swan. "Please, I'll… I'll do whatever."

Emma chuckled. "We're not quite there yet, but that's good to know for the future."

That last promise alone caused Regina's panties to become embarrassingly wet. "Please do," Regina whispered hoarsely. Emma smirked and stood up, with Regina safely in her arms causing the brunette to squeal in excitement. The Sheriff carried her fiancée to the bedroom and plopped the brunette woman on the bed.

And then she was kissing Regina. Regina, hesitated for a moment to take in all that was Emma Swan. Emma took it as a cue to roll on top of her and kiss the brunette harder. Regina pulled back for a second to grin at the reminder of how great their foreplay could be, and then Emma's hands were running under Regina's back to desperately pull the brunette closer. Things felt different this time, powerfully emotional and without worry, like a breeze on a hot summer day... her tongue danced with Emma's as their hands ran over each other's bodies. Regina quickly switched their positions and topped Emma.

Their shirts and bras came off, and Regina pulled Emma up to kiss down her chest. She began to relish licking her breasts and cupped them in her hands the way she knew that Emma liked. The Savior enjoyed it but pushed her back to rub and squeeze her chest the way she knew that her fiancée loved. Her breathing was heavy, and Emma could already smell that she was turned on. She knew that it was time to cross the line...

Regina lay back against the pillows and had Emma slide her pants off. Emma wanted to whisper that she was beautiful, because, bared in front of her like that, she really was... but her hands guided Emma's to her panties. Emma reached a few fingers under, rubbing her gently.

"Will you please just take them off?" she asked in a half-moan. Emma slid them off, lifting her legs up and then spreading them back out. She kissed just once a few inches above Regina's sex, teasing her, and then brought gentle fingers in, even though she knew that was just teasing her more. She was soaked, and Emma could smell her scent... and it was more intoxicating than ever.

"Emma..." The brunette husked.

"Yeah?" Emma replied, her voice soft. Regina's cute brown eyes locked onto Emma's with blatant need. The blonde would really have done anything for her, but she liked teasing her.

"Please..."

Emma, I leaned in between her legs, pausing an inch from Regina's glistening sex. It was beautiful, she was beautiful, and the blonde was wondering how she'd ever feared this so much. The Sheriff breathed in her scent, rolling the complexity of it in her senses, and took a moment to enjoy Regina's heat on her face. She looked up one last time, locking eyes with her fiancée. Regina bit her lip and smiled... she'd finally gotten her to make love to her. Emma smiled back, warm and happy, and then...

Regina let out a long, satisfied sigh as Emma licked her pussy for the first time. Emma took in her taste, marveling at how much she'd missed it.

Regina moaned loudly, the feeling of Emma's tongue against her core felt so overwhelmingly amazing that she thought she might pass out. "Please, Emma, Please. Don't stop. Never stop."

Emma continued licking Regina's core focusing more and more attention on the brunette's clit. Regina's heat and wetness felt so intimate... Emma explored with her tongue for the first time in over ten years, enjoying every sensation. Like so many times before, her world shrank to just her numbed thoughts, the pussy in front of her, and her tools...this time, it was her tongue instead of her fingers, another day it would be her fingers.

Regina continued moaning. She didn't care if it sounded pathetic, she'd waited so long for this to happen again, and the feeling of Emma between her thighs, and her tongue on her clit was rapidly consuming her. She loved every minute of it. She'd missed this so greatly, that she was willing to beg for what she wanted. "Please, Emma. Fuck the hell out of me. Ravish me. Take me. Just give it everything.|

At that, Emma's tongue insistently found its way to the spots Regina liked the most. She brought her fingers in, to explore a little more ... She felt her own lust dripping down her leg as she used two fingers to expose Regina's clit. Emma felt even happier as she sucked gently on it, and found that pushing two of her fingers down against the inside of her sex while she sucked drove her fiancée wild. She was bucking and writhing in pleasure, but Emma knew what she wanted...

Emma curled her fingers upward and stroked the brunette's G-spot as she sucked on Regina's clit. Regina felt like she was going to pass out from the absolute bliss she was feeling between her thighs. Her legs squeezed Emma's head, but the blonde didn't let up, causing Regina to moan loudly. This was incredible. Much better than she'd been fantasizing about, but she remembered now just how talented Emma was in bed.

Emma wanted to give Regina the best orgasm of her life, and nothing was going to stop her! Her thoughts turned to pure heat as she kept sucking and fingering Regina, bringing her right to the edge and then back again until she couldn't take it anymore.

Finally, when she started screaming, Emma rode her thrashing thighs all the way to orgasm, feeling Regina's inner walls contract around her fingers, and... yes! A gush of her lust washed down Emma's chin and neck.

Regina screamed so loud she thought she might permanently do damage to her vocal chords, but she didn't care as the orgasm slammed into her like a freight train. She couldn't remember ever feeling this good.

After licking her lips clean, Emma's awareness returned... and there she found herself... sweaty, covered in Regina's juices. Emma could tell that Regina had just gotten off harder than ever before, and she knew there was no going back now.

Regina watched Emma in stunned awe, panting.

"Utter fucking fantastic," she breathed. Emma laughed and surveyed the flushed and incredibly attractive body she'd just brought to orgasm. She was satisfied completely, through and through... Emma moved her legs and found that she'd been so into it, that her knees hurt. Not to mention, her jeans were soaked through with her own juices.

In moments, Regina had Emma's pants off. The blonde hadn't worn any underwear, and Regina was pleasantly surprised by that.

Regina's toned arms slid along Emma's legs as she kneeled between them, then pushed them apart forcefully. Emma drew a sharp breath. Regina's heart was pounding so furiously that she thought it might explode... her eyes were on Emma, relishing in what she'd brought her to.

She kissed slowly around Emma's upper thighs, grinning.

"Please..." Emma whispered.

Regina tossed her head to get her raven hair out of the way... so that Emma could see her better. She wanted Emma to watch. Emma held her breath as Regina moved in, and then Regina's lips parted, and her tongue touched her clit. Emma shivered at the completely miraculous sensation. At first, it was just - oh my god! The first pulse of pleasure hit her, and she jumped. Damn, it felt amazing!

Regina could tell that Emma was enjoying herself. She licked up the entire length of the blonde's lips, and she jumped again. Regina lifted her tongue for a second to lick her lips and wet them more. Her soft mouth went to work on Emma, her tongue working on the Savior's inner folds and her lips brushing the hardened clit. It blew Regina's mind to think that she was tongue-deep in Emma's sex... Her wetness... and it tasted so amazing, better than she remembered.

Emma's vision blurred, but she kept watching Regina. The sight of Regina down there working on her was erotic as hell.

Regina placed her lips on Emma's clit and sucked gently. Emma's legs twitched, and she struggled to keep control. Regina's tongue was unbelievable. The Sheriff felt a massive orgasm coming before Regina brought her fingers down to slide inside Emma's wet slit. Her tongue rolled across Emma's hardened nub again as her fingers rubbed  her G-spot... it drove Emma practically wild!

All Regina could think was that she was so honored to be able to taste Emma like this again. To see her naked body sprawled out for her like this  again felt like an honor she didn’t deserve, but was utterly grateful to receive. She wanted this so bad. She wanted Emma to get off against her face, get off from her warm mouth.

Emma thrashed with an explosive orgasm as Regina held her legs tight and kept licking. Emma felt a body-filling release, and a few moments later her vision returned.

Regina leaned back on her knees, smiling at Emma. Her mouth and chest were soaked... she'd made Emma squirt -something she was entirely too happy about-.

She was too overwhelmed and exhausted from the best orgasm of her life and then making passionate love to her amazing fiancee, to say something about it. So instead, she climbed the bed and lay beside Emma, wrapping her arm around the love of her life’s waste and resting her head on the sheriff’s muscular shoulder.

"I love you so much, Gina," Emma said breathlessly. "I will never be able to love someone the way that I love you."

Regina smiled and tightened her hold on the woman she loved just a little bit more. "I'm glad to hear that, dear. Because I could never love anyone besides you."

Right before they fell asleep, they both had the same thought.

_That was the best sex of my entire life._

**XXX**

As Emma began walking down the aisle with her bouquet of flowers, just after Regina finished her turn, Regina couldn't help the tears of joy that were flowing down her face. Emma was walking down the aisle _to her,_ and she looked damned beautiful doing  so... like always.

Once Emma reached the altar, and they grabbed each other's hands, Emma scanned the crowd. Her eyes stopped on her son, and his wife sitting next to each other. There was a large gap between them, but sitting next to each other seemed promising. She smiled and winked at him before returning her attention to her ceremony.

Once it was time for their vows, Regina went first.

"Emma, today I once again, become your wife, and you become mine. I promise you that I will strive to give you the best of myself while accepting you the way that you are. I promise to respect you as a whole person with your own interests, desires, and needs, and to realize that those are sometimes different, but no less important, than my own.

I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams. I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face change as we both change, keeping our relationship alive and exciting. And finally, I promise to love you and only you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all that I am, in the only way I know how - completely and forever." With that, she brought the blonde's hand up to her lips to kiss it lovingly.

Emma wiped tears from her eyes before she spoke her vows. "Regina, last month at the dinner we announced our engagement, you said to me that what we share is so much more than love, and you were right. What we share is deeper than any love on the planet, because we are not only in love, but we are also best of friends, we are each other's confidante, and we are soulmates. So, today I vow to love you for eternity, respecting you, honoring you, being faithful to you, and sharing my life with you."

With that, they turned to Neal, and he gave them their rings. Regina once again went first.

"Emma, I choose you above all others, to be my wife. I offer this ring as a token of our love. As this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you." She then placed the ring on Emma's left ring finger with a shaking hand.

Emma grabbed her hand once the ring was securely on her finger, and gave it a quick squeeze before preparing Regina's ring and then saying her ring vows.

"Regina, With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow all of the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands. I give you this ring as a pledge of my love and commitment, and as a token to show to the world that you are mine, and I am yours until the end of eternity." As soon as her vows were said, she slid the ring onto Regina's finger and smiled brightly.

Granny smiled. "By the power invested in me by getordained.com, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may now kiss your bride!"

The two wasted no time and immediately lunged at each other.

Once the pulled apart, they looked at each other and smiled.

"Today is the beginning of our forever, my love," Emma said to her wife.

Regina felt herself fill with jubilation. "I can't wait to spend it with you, darling."

~The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This seems like a good ending, however, if you would like me to do a one-shot of their wedding night and honeymoon I would be willing to do that! If I don't get many people asking for that, then I won't, but if I do, I will post it as it's own story but update on her to let you guys know its up! Thanks!
> 
> P.S. I do take prompts!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you enjoyed!


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